


Headway

by BlaineyDevon



Series: Headway 'Verse [1]
Category: Glee
Genre: Blangst, Brain Damage, Glee AU, M/M, Minor Character Death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-23
Updated: 2014-08-23
Packaged: 2018-01-20 12:00:56
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 20
Words: 129,776
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1509716
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlaineyDevon/pseuds/BlaineyDevon
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“The accident took a lot of things from Blaine, but it never touched his ability to love.”</p><p>Snapshots of Kurt and Blaine’s life together, unconditionally loving each other despite dealing with lifelong consequences of a traumatic brain injury.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Blaine Moves In

Since he met Blaine, Kurt spent a lot of time googling things. He’s always been curious, and the internet is a wealth of knowledge. Kurt wanted to know more about how to be the best boyfriend he could be to Blaine, knowing that their relationship was anything but conventional. Hell, even his dad had been against it at first. A young man’s first relationship should not be burdened with problems, he’d said. But Kurt didn’t listen, and he’d been blissfully enjoying being in love with his best friend for almost two years now.

Tonight, Kurt was sitting in the makeshift eat-in kitchen of his brand new shiny New York City loft, listening to the arguing of his two reluctant roommates, Rachel and Santana. His laptop was open in front of him as he waited for the browser to load. He sighed, his heart thudding heavily in his chest at the thought of what tomorrow would bring. Then he lifted his head from where it was propped in his palm and began to type into the search box.

_how to live with someone that has brain damage_

He clicked on the first result without really looking, then scanned an article mostly about how to live when a loved one is in a coma or waiting for them to heal from a brain injury. Kurt has read all about that before, when he was curious about what it was like all those years ago when Blaine first had his accident. Now it’s old hat, and he needs an answer to his question. He backtracks to his search and hits the second option. The first thing he read was right there, bolded in a bulleted list.

**• A person with a brain injury is a person first**

Well thanks, Kurt thought. He knew that. Perhaps better than most people. But at the same time it was nice to have the reassurance. He scrolled down and found more information about areas of the brain, all of which he has already spent countless hours studying. He knew by heart the areas of the brain and their function.

Kurt went back to his search and scrolled down a bit. He wasn’t sure exactly what he was looking for, or if he even really had questions that needed to be answered. 

_Coping with Behavior Problems after Head Injury_

Not a new issue…Blaine’s behavior had been the same as long as Kurt had known him.

_Brain Injury and its Impact on Families_

Not relevant, Blaine’s family had long since learned to cope with what had happened.

_Life After Brain Injuries: Are We Still the Same People…_

Definitely not, in Blaine’s case, but Kurt hadn’t known him before so it didn’t matter.

_The Survival Guide – Living with Acquired Brain Injury in…_

Kurt paused and clicked on that last one, a pdf from some Canadian government website. He felt a flutter of anxiety in his chest, and he knew that his nerves were from more than excitement about Blaine moving in with him. It was such a big step, but Blaine’s parents were as eager to get him out in the world as they were terrified of letting him out of their sight. It would be good for him, and good for all of them. But it would also be the biggest life adjustment any of them could have ever imagined. 

The pdf finished loading and Kurt browsed the table of contents. It all looked so familiar in theory, all of it learned from the home caregiver classes Mr. and Mrs. Anderson had paid for him, Rachel, and Santana to take last summer. Kurt exited out of the browser and concluded simply that no amount of research or classes could truly prepare him for the monumental task ahead of him.

Was he really ready for this?

...............................

The answer was yes, and Kurt knew it the moment the door of the loft rolled open and not even two seconds later were his arms full of happy, excited boy. Blaine clutched onto him, letting out a squeal of joy at feeling Kurt embrace him tightly. He rubbed a hand down Blaine’s back and felt his boyfriend's lips brush his cheek as Blaine pulled back, a wide grin on his beautiful face.

“Kurt!” said Blaine excitedly, bouncing slightly on the balls of his feet. He reached out and grasped Kurt’s hand in his, twining their fingers together, then he stepped forward and bumped their shoulders together before rooting himself right smack inside Kurt’s personal bubble.

“Blaine!” said Kurt back, smiling happily and lifting his arm above Blaine’s head, their hands still attached, and settled it around his shoulders, holding his boyfriend close. “Did you have a good flight?”

“Uh huh,” said Blaine, nodding quickly. “I sat between Mama and Daddy and looked out the window. The flight attendants were, they were super nice and let me, they gave me extra pretzels ‘cause they said I’m cute.”

“Well you are,” said Kurt, kissing him on the cheek right as Blaine’s parents came through the door, wheeling behind them five suitcases and looking quite disgruntled. Blaine’s smile fell as soon as he spotted them.

“Oops. Sorry Mama.” He broke away from Kurt and hurried over to help his mother with their bags. Vivienne Anderson smiled in relief and immediately began a survey of the loft, while her husband Jack quickly hurried back out the door to get the rest of their things. Blaine had brought everything he would need over on the plane, and Kurt knew it would be a lot.

“Hello Viv,” said Kurt politely, watching as the dark haired woman looked around with a critical eye. Kurt held his breath for a moment, waiting for her to give him the okay. At last, she turned toward him and smiled.

“Oh Kurt, honey, this place is wonderful. Blaine is going to love it here. There’s so much space, and with you and the girls he’s going to settle right in.” She stepped over and pulled Kurt into a tight embrace that he melted into. As much as he loved his step-mother, Viv’s hugs were always special to him in their own way.

“I’m glad you think so.” Kurt reluctantly pulled back from the hug and moved over to where Blaine stood, momentarily confused by the pile of suitcases beside him. “I know it’s only been like a week, but I’ve missed you so much.”

Blaine beamed and kissed Kurt square on the lips, pressing closer after a moment. Kurt let himself be kissed for ten seconds, then pushed Blaine off lightly. Self-control when it came to Kurt was not Blaine’s strong suit. Blaine hummed happily and looked around. Kurt wasn’t sure if he had really absorbed that this was his new home or not, but it would come in time. 

“C’mon Blaine, our room is this way. Let’s take your stuff and get you settled. You must be tired after all the traveling.” Kurt grabbed a couple of the suitcases and wheeled them toward his bedroom area, Blaine doing the same and following quickly. 

Once inside the curtained area of their room, Blaine looked around in wonder. He slowly walked the whole space, touching everything within reach. Kurt knew this was Blaine’s special way of getting acquainted with a space, but also that it would take time for Blaine to recognize it as his own.

“We can unpack your clothes tomorrow. It’ll take some time to hang them all up. We’ll get all the important stuff out before your parents leave, but for now, do you want to rest?” asked Kurt, as Blaine finished his journey around the room.

“Yeah…” Blaine paused to yawn. “Yeah I’d like rest. Sounds good.”

He nodded sleepily and took a couple steps toward the bed before falling onto it. Kurt laughed and walked over to give his tired boyfriend a kiss on the forehead. Blaine smiled up at him, his eyes full of wonder and love. Kurt loved this innocence, and knew that it would make their life together trying, but he would do anything for this boy.

“I love you,” said Blaine, reaching up to brush his soft fingertips against Kurt’s cheek. Kurt captured Blaine’s hand in his and gave those precious fingertips a loving brush of his lips. 

“I love you too,” whispered Kurt. Blaine’s eyes blinked slowly, until at last they fluttered closed and he drifted off. Kurt watched him for a moment, knowing that frequent naps were often Blaine’s escape from the difficulties of navigating the big world. Then he gently rose from the bed and left the room, pulling the curtains tight.

“Is he sleeping?” Viv asked, keeping her voice low. Kurt nodded and invited her to sit down at the kitchen table. Her husband, Blaine’s father, Jack came in with the rest of their suitcases. Noting the absence of his son, he immediately softened his movements and quietly walked over to sit beside his wife.

“This is a nice place,” said Jack softly. “Good neighborhood, I think. Blaine should be safe here with the three of you caring for him.”

Kurt smiled. “I’m not sure how capable Rachel Berry will be when it comes to handling Blaine at his worst, but she’s agreed to stay with him when Santana and I are busy. Between the three of us, we’ll be able to handle school, work, and Blaine.”

“You just remember,” said Jack seriously. “We’re helping you out for the first six months. And any issues you have with Blaine, especially medical wise, we’re a phone call away.”

“And the government should start sending you checks soon. You’re Blaine’s full time caregiver now,” added Viv. She instantly saw the look of hesitation that passed over Kurt’s face. “Kurt…are you sure you’re ready for this?”

“I have to be,” said Kurt. He looked down at the table and sighed. “I love Blaine, more than anything. And I’ve been preparing for this since we decided on it last year. It’s just…it’s here now. And it’s kind of overwhelming.”

Kurt had feared that Blaine’s parents wouldn’t let Blaine live with him if he expressed his concerns earlier, but now that Blaine was here they couldn't take him back. Blaine was precious to him, and he had practically been living with Blaine back in Lima, spending more nights in Blaine’s room than at his own house. It was just all so real now, out in the big wide world, about to start college, and hundreds of miles from his dad.

“Kurt.” Viv reached out and took the young man’s hand in her own, giving it a gentle squeeze. “Do you think I really want to let my baby go? Of course not. His life is hard. He can’t make his own decisions, he can’t function as an adult, and he can’t be left alone. You know that. Hell, no amount of special teachers could help him graduate high school. This is a big decision, for all of us. But I know that this is truly what he wants. Now the question is…is it truly what you want?”

Worrying his lip between his teeth, Kurt thought for a minute. He was ready, he knew he was. He just had to say it. But the words weren't coming…

He glanced over at the curtain separating his – _their_ – room from the rest of the space. Blaine was sleeping quietly in there, for now. And later he would need dinner, which Kurt would have to prepare for him. Then he’d want to cuddle on the couch, and then it would be bath time which Kurt would have to supervise, then more cuddles on the couch, then time for bed. That was Blaine’s schedule and they would have to make it work. 

“Yes,” said Kurt at last. “I am ready for this. I will take care of Blaine.”

Viv squeezed his hand one last time before letting it go. “We’ll be here for a couple of days to help you adjust. Our hotel is just down the block. But I think Blaine is in very capable hands.”

Kurt smiled, and for the first time, he actually agreed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This fic deals with Blaine suffering from a brain injury that has drastically altered his personality, making this fic completely AU. I am not a doctor, I only know what google has taught me. With that in mind, I'll try to be as accurate as I can. This story does deal with some tough subjects, but is meant to be a truthful representation of Blaine's life in it's entirety. I do hope you enjoy, and thank you for reading.


	2. Blaine Adjusts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Blaine adjusts to life in the loft.

_May 24, 2003_

_Genevieve Lloyd looked at her watch and swore to herself. She was running late, and she promised her sister she’d have the boys back before dinner. It was already half past six and Vivienne would be calling any second demanding to know where they were. Gen stuffed the last of Blaine’s clothes in his bag, cringing as the eight year old tore through her house and screamed, being chased by her own son._

_“That’s enough boys! Get in the car Blaine, it’s time to go home!” Gen yelled over the din of the playing children. Cooper was waiting by the door, bouncing in place and making grabby hands as Gen took the keys off the little hook on the wall beside the refrigerator._

_“Can I drive can I drive can I drive pleeeeeease?” asked Cooper, his best and most charming grin in place._

_“Not today, Coop, there isn’t time. Go round up your brother for me, your mom is gonna kill me if we don’t get there soon,” replied Gen, much to Cooper’s disappointment. He sighed and went into the living room to wrangle the little tyrant that was Blaine. As Gen was headed out the door to put their overnight bags in the car, she could hear Blaine’s screams as seconds later Cooper followed her outside, holding his wiggly little brother over his shoulder._

_“Want I to throw him in the back?” Cooper asked, giving his brother’s ticklish side a quick prod._

_“Yes, but nicely. And quickly,” said Gen. Once both boys were in the car and seatbelts were buckled, she wasted no time in getting the car going._

_“I’m s’posed to sit in the car seat!” said Blaine loudly. “Mama says I’m too little!”_

_“I know, honey,” said Gen. “But we’re in a hurry and your house is only ten minutes away. You’ll be safe until then.”_

_Blaine seemed satisfied for the moment and Gen turned up the radio as she pulled out into the main roadway._

_“Hey squirt,” Cooper said, turning around in his seat to look at him._

_“Don’t call me squirt!” yelled Blaine._

_“Fine. Hey demon child.” Cooper grinned as Blaine folded his arms over his chest and huffed loudly. Cooper laughed maniacally, then lunged into the back seat to jab the smaller boy in the ribs, causing him to let out a loud shriek._

_“Cooper!” Gen yelled, using one hand to push the older boy back in his seat. “Act like the adult you almost are, please.”_

_Cooper sat back in the passenger seat and looked behind him at his pouting little brother. He kept teasing him, sticking his tongue out at him and winking at him. He could see Blaine’s energy level steadily rising as each silent taunt dug at him a little deeper. Finally when he knew Blaine couldn’t take it anymore, he reached back and grabbed Blaine’s little foot in his hand and gave a sharp tug, pulling off his shoe._

_“Cooper!!” Blaine squawked. He kicked his foot out, then grabbed the seatbelt in his hand and unbuckled it, launching himself at Cooper._

_“Blaine, sit back down right now!” Gen yelled, taking her eyes off the road just long enough to shove the little boy back into his seat. A horn honking startled her and she looked back to the road in time to see she had swerved into the other lane. Cooper let out a surprised yell as she panicked and turned the wheel, swerving the car back into the right lane and slamming sideways into a car there._

_Gen screamed and the steering wheel jerked the car back into the line of oncoming traffic, and she stomped on the breaks just a second too late. A car coming toward them slammed into them head on, jerking Gen around in her seat as her hand flew out on instinct to grab Cooper beside her. A scream from behind her was barely heard as the airbag blew and sent her head jerking back into the headrest of the seat, knocking her unconscious._

_Car horns blared and sirens sounded in the distance when Cooper shook off the ringing in his ears. He looked over and saw his unconscious aunt still buckled safely in her seat, and it took him a moment to realize what had happened. After assessing his own body to make sure nothing was missing, he tried to push open the door. It was jammed shut, but the glass was shattered. With a grunt he pulled himself up, hissing at a sharp, agonizing pain that jerked through his foot. It was definitely broken, but it was a long ways from his heart._

_He pulled off his jacket and balled it around his fist, using it to break out the rest of the glass so he didn’t cut himself, then he pulled himself out of the passenger window, crying out as he fell onto the concrete below. In the distance he swore he could hear a child’s voice, crying out to their mommy. Then he remembered._ Blaine _._

_Cooper pulled himself to his feet, and steadied himself on the steaming, mangled car in front of him as he limped to look in the back window, trying to see Blaine. He was in the back of the SUV, slumped against the rear door, his little body draped over their overnight bags. It took Cooper a moment to realize the child’s voice he heard wasn’t coming from his little brother. Blaine wasn’t awake._

Shit fuck damn _. Cooper swore to himself as he limped to the back of the car. It took him too many tries to wrestle the back hatch open, his arms waiting to catch Blaine before he fell out of the car. It dawned on him that Blaine had taken off his seatbelt, and he’d been thrown over the back seat to the rear of the car with the impact of the crash. There was a thick, bloody gash on his tiny forehead and his jaw was hanging open slack._

_“No no no no no oh god Blaine please don’t be dead,” Cooper pleaded with the small boy as he slowly lowered them both to the ground, cradling Blaine’s limp body in his arms. He felt for a pulse and tried to listen if Blaine was breathing, but his own body began to feel numb. He fought dizziness as it began to overtake him, desperately trying to see if Blaine was still alive._

_The sirens grew louder to the point where they were nearly on top of him, and Cooper couldn’t fight it anymore. The blackness overcame him and he slumped down on the pavement, Blaine’s body draped over his own._

_....................................................._  

_August 19, 2013_

A week after Blaine moved in, things were still going pretty smoothly if you asked Kurt. He realized quickly that he spent a lot of time watching Blaine sleep. It was to be expected, though. Blaine fatigued easier than the average person, and adjusting to an entirely new world around him after living in Lima for his whole life was mentally taxing. New York was such a big place, and a lot happened everywhere they went. It was hard for Blaine to know what to focus on and what to ignore. And trying to navigate the apartment, let alone the city, was challenging enough for him.

But for the first week, Kurt thought they were doing pretty good. Blaine had always loved Rachel and Santana – his attachment to both of them in high school had led to Kurt, Rachel, and Santana becoming reluctantly close friends – and it was nice to see that living with them had only strengthened the bond. At least so far.

The hardest night so far had been when Blaine’s parents had finally returned to Lima. Kurt and Blaine had gone with them to the airport, Kurt watching as a tearful Blaine clung to his mother for five whole minutes. Then it had escalated into a full-fledged Anderson family group hug, with Blaine sandwiched between his parents. They were more reluctant to let him go now that it was actually time, but when at last they were forced to peel themselves away, it wasn’t without promise that if Blaine _ever_ needed _anything_ , they would be on the first plane to New York.

Blaine was quiet when they returned to the loft, and he expressed little emotion when they heard Santana’s voice in the kitchen, ranting to someone on her phone in fluent Spanish. When they arrived, Santana hurriedly ended her call and pulled a pan full of homemade enchiladas – Blaine’s favorite – out of the oven and offered them with a smile. Blaine had politely declined and said he wanted sleep. Kurt followed him into their room and lay down beside him, letting Blaine be the little spoon with a comforting arm wrapped around him.

They both drifted off and slept soundly through the night until the next morning, when Kurt was startled awake by a soft, high pitched whine. It took him a few moments to realize it as coming from the mass of wadded up blankets beside him. He reached down and placed a hand on a lump that he guessed was Blaine’s shoulder. It was quivering slightly, and seconds later Kurt realized why.

The high pitched, screeching sound of Rachel Berry’s morning vocal warm ups made Kurt jump. Most days, he could sleep through it. He wasn’t the lightest sleeper, but the obvious distress radiating from Blaine roused Kurt quickly.

“Honey, are you okay?” Kurt asked, tugging the blankets off his shaking boyfriend. Blaine whimpered and Kurt could clearly see him clutching his head between his hands, grabbing fistfuls of hair as he struggled to cover his ears. He wasn’t crying yet, so he wasn’t up to full on headache, but the threat was there if Kurt didn’t do something.

“It’s alright, Blaine. I’ll take care of it,” Kurt promised. He pressed a soft kiss to the top of Blaine’s head and crawled out of bed. Cringing as Rachel let out another high pitched trill, Kurt slipped on his favorite fluffy robe and slipped out of the curtains.

Rachel was in the living room, her back facing Kurt, gesturing wildly with her hands as her voice increased in volume. As if she sensed his eyes on her, she turned around and dropped her hands, going quiet. Kurt folded his arms over his chest.

“Good morning, Kurt! You’re up early,” said Rachel cheerfully, ignoring Kurt’s glare.

“Yes, because apparently you find it necessary to begin screeching at ungodly hours of the morning,” seethed Kurt.

Rachel’s smile didn’t fall, ever the optimist. “Well, it’s good for you to get up and have an early start to the day. And you could benefit from vocal exercises as well.”

“I’m sure that’s true, but it’s not me I’m worried about. Your screeching is disturbing Blaine,” said Kurt. “I only got up because someone had to shut you up before he gets a headache. And you know if he gets one now, he’ll have one all day.”

At last, her shoulders slumped and she frowned, glancing toward the curtain shut tight around Kurt and Blaine’s room. The loft fell silent for a moment before Rachel pulled her lips between her teeth and nodded.

“Sorry, I wasn’t thinking,” she admitted softly. Kurt gave her a look that said _clearly_ , then left her alone to see if he could catch another hour or two of peaceful sleep and cuddles with his boyfriend.

Slipping back through the curtain, he smiled when he realized Blaine was awake now, stretched out on the bed and blinking up at him sleepily. His curly hair was splayed out on Kurt’s pillow as he snuggled deeper into the bed. One arm was stretched out to the side and the other rested on a strip of his tummy where his tank top had ridden up.

“Thank you,” said Blaine softly, watching Kurt as he walked over and sat on the edge of the bed. “I love Rachel but she’s loud.”

“I know she is, but she’ll be quiet now. I promise,” said Kurt.

He lay down beside Blaine, resting his head on the arm stretched out to the side, looking up at his boyfriend through his eyelashes. Blaine stared at him for a bit, his eyes big and round, their expression unreadable. Kurt reached up and gently brushed his knuckles against Blaine’s temple.

“Hey, what’s going on in there?” asked Kurt softly, almost a whisper. Sometimes Blaine would stare for what seemed like hours, no one knowing what thoughts were trapped inside his mysterious brain.

Blaine finally blinked, and tilted his head back against the pillow. He still didn’t speak, so Kurt propped himself up on his arm and looked down at Blaine, whose eyes followed him wherever he moved.

“Talk to me, honey,” said Kurt, a little urgency in his voice. Blaine’s tongue darted out to wet his lips, and at the same time his tummy gave a loud rumble.

“’m hungry,” stated Blaine, the words soft and slurred. Often Blaine would mumble, and his words would slur, or come out sounding almost childlike, or even refuse to come out at all. He shook his head once, as if shaking away whatever was muffling his voice, then propped himself up, his face inches from Kurt’s. “Can we have pancakes?”

Kurt leaned forward and kissed Blaine softly, earning a little squeak of surprise, followed by a giggle. Grinning, Kurt reached out and tickled Blaine’s tummy softly, drawing out the adorable, childish laughter from him. Blaine batted at his hands and scooted away from him, his face scrunched up and smiley.

“Kuuurt!”

“Blaaaaaine!” Kurt laughed and rolled off the bed, reaching out a hand to help Blaine up. “I will make pancakes, but only if you get your cute butt out of bed and help me.”

“Deal!” Blaine bounced on the bed as he scooted to the edge, grabbing Kurt’s hand to pull himself up. Not caring that they were dressed only in undershirts and boxers (and a robe in Kurt’s case), they headed out into the kitchen area. Blaine recruited Rachel’s help with the pancakes, and eventually the commotion was enough to draw Santana out in the open too.

Yes, Kurt thought. Things were coming together quite smoothly.

...................................

Two days later, classes started at NYADA, and both Kurt and Rachel had to leave for a few hours during the day. Santana had known this would be the case when she agreed to move in, and she was prepared for it. Her new job at the Spotlight Diner allowed her to work nights, sleep all morning, and make sure Blaine didn’t kill himself or wander off until Kurt got back from class. When Kurt was getting ready in the morning, Santana made a point of showing how much trouble it would be to be left all alone with the gayest hobbit who ever lived. She didn’t really feel that way about him, though. She just couldn’t let them go without a little fight.

But the truth was Santana Lopez loved Blaine Anderson. Not romantic love, of course not. Ew gross that would never _ever_ happen. But he was like that annoying little brother you love to hate, but when it came down to it you would do _anything_ for him. She’d never admit it to anyone except Blaine – and his parents, but only because they demanded to know her intentions when he introduced her as his friend – but she actually _really_ cared about him.

She sat at the kitchen table that morning and watched Blaine pace nervously, following Kurt around as he stuffed books in his messenger bag and made sure he had everything he would need for his first day of college (“College, Blaine! Real, actual, adult college!”). Santana knew that Blaine didn’t give a flying fuck that Kurt was going to college, he just wanted to know when he would be home.

The amount of love Blaine had in his heart for Kurt was almost sickening, but without it, Santana would have never given him the time of day. She thought back to high school, around the middle of senior year. Kurt had announced that he and Blaine were officially together, and Santana had made some bitch comment about the only person Kurt could find for a suitable mating partner was the school’s dumbest loser.

The two boys had brushed off the comment, but Santana hadn’t missed the hurt in Blaine’s eyes. Somehow she felt like he always remembered every hurtful remark, even if he couldn’t remember which way was up. At the time, she hadn’t thought twice of it, and at the end of glee club rehearsal, she left the choir room like everyone else.

She hadn’t seen it coming, not right away. The group of eight football players whose lives were dedicated to making the glee clubbers feel like shit were on their way toward her, each carrying a jumbo sized slushy. By the time she realized they were aiming for her, it was too late. She cringed and waited for the ice cold sucker punch, but it never came. Instead something pushed her aside and she heard the splash of the slushies being thrown, immediately followed by a scream.

Commotion settled in by the time Santana realized what had happened. Kurt, Rachel, Mercedes, and Tina were surrounding a shivering, sobbing, blue ice covered Blaine. The jocks were backing off, murmuring about _we slushied the retard shit._ Santana felt anger boiling inside of her, but then she saw Blaine. She pushed the invalids out of the way and helped him toward the nearest bathroom, instructing Kurt to find Blaine some dry clothes.

Once inside, she gently guided Blaine’s head under the water of the sink and got him to come back to Earth from the ice cold hell the slushy had sent him to. His quivering never ceased but the tears finally stopped as she wiped the last of the ice from his eyes. Kurt returned and helped him out of his clothes, into dry ones. Once he was physically better, but still mentally traumatized, Santana did something she rarely did: she hugged him.

“You stupid idiot, you shouldn’t have done that,” she had said, squeezing him tight. Blaine hugged back, relaxing into her embrace. She finally pulled back and held his shoulders, looking at him. “But thank you. You’re a real friend.”

Later on she found out Blaine had done it because he thought the slushies were aimed at Kurt, and he knew how much Kurt hated them. But it didn’t break the bond that had been formed between Blaine and Santana, the bond that had strengthened so tight that she was now sitting in this stupid, smelly loft watching Blaine look out the window hours after Kurt had left.

“Staring only makes the wait longer,” she said, breaking the silence. Blaine’s head snapped toward her voice and he looked at her with wide eyes.

“I miss him,” said Blaine, simply.

“I know you do, nugget. But why don’t you come over here and cuddle with me instead?” She offered, extending her arm to the empty space on the couch beside her. Blaine stood from his window perch and strode over to her, sitting down gently. She wrapped and arm around him and pulled him so he was half laying beside her. “That’s more like it!”

Blaine squeaked and giggled, then curled his body up beside her, his head resting on her shoulder.

“Hey, isn’t today your Skype day with Cooper?” she asked, rubbing her hand up over his back lightly. Blaine gasped and sat up so fast it almost made her laugh.

“Yes yes yes! Coop!” he exclaimed.

“Alright, alright,” groaned Santana as she pushed herself off the couch. “You wait here and I’ll grab your computer.”

She wandered into Blaine and Kurt’s room, keeping her eyes off the bed in case there were any weird sex toys over there or something, and grabbed Blaine’s laptop. He never used it for much other than Skyping people and occasionally playing ridiculous games that were supposed to “stimulate cognitive functions”. She opened and started it up, holding it open as she walked back to the couch.

They settled down together, the laptop resting on one of Blaine’s legs and one of Santana’s as they cuddled and started up a call with Blaine’s (handsome, sexy, ridiculous) brother.

 ...............................................

And that was how Kurt found them two hours later. Santana with an arm around Blaine, her hand carding gently through his hair as she added in snide little comments as Cooper told them all about the latest gossip from behind the scenes of the new show he was working on. Blaine stared at his brother like he was his hero, and hung on every word he said, not even realizing Kurt was home until he crept up behind them and Cooper spotted him in the corner of the webcam.

“ _Someone’s home!_ ” Cooper sing-songed, pointing at the screen and causing Blaine to tilt his head back so he could see behind him. After a moment, Blaine finally recognized him.

“Kurt!!” Blaine squealed and jumped up, nearly sending the laptop flying as he scrambled around the couch to embrace Kurt as tight as he could. Kurt laughed and returned it, then nudged him off just enough to focus their attention back on the man on the screen.

“Hi Cooper, how’s L.A.?” Kurt asked.

“ _Sunny and amazing as always. You better be taking care of my little brother._ ”

“Of course I am,” said Kurt.

“ _Good. Well, I gotta get back to work. Blainey I love you and goodbye._ ” Cooper waved and blew his brother a kiss.

“Bye Coopy.” Blaine waved and blew him a kiss back, then Santana ended the call and closed the laptop.

“Did you have a nice chat with your brother?” Kurt asked when Blaine turned his attention back to him. He was still close, their bodies nearly pressed together and one of Blaine’s arms around his waist. Blaine nodded and leaned forward, kissing Kurt firmly on the lips.

“Alright, that’s it. I have to get out of here and go to work before you two start having weird gay sex all over the place,” said Santana, pushing herself up and heading off toward her room to change for work.

Kurt pulled back and laughed, watching her go, then turned back to Blaine only to find him staring at Kurt’s lips, his eyes wide and dark. His hold on Kurt tightened slightly and he crowded into Kurt’s space a little more.

“Something tells me I’m not going to get to tell you about my day,” said Kurt, smirking a little as Blaine licked his lips, then pulled their bodies flush against each other and pressed his face into Kurt’s neck. Every point where their bodies connected radiated heat through Kurt’s body and lit him on fire.

Blaine began to gently kiss the sensitive skin of Kurt’s neck, and it was times like this that Kurt could easily forget that Blaine was anything but normal.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So that's the accident Blaine was injured in, more on that to come. The next part will expand on how this part ended, not because I had to add Klaine sex, but because I really want to explore how Blaine's mannerisms both conflict and coincide with his physical need for intimacy, and ultimately sex. Thanks for reading.


	3. Blaine Learns About Sex

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Blaine learns about his body, sex, and that he feels things deeply.

Blaine was thirteen when Viv started to notice things. She knew it was only a matter of time, and it scared her because his body was growing up faster than his mind. When Cooper hit puberty, he went through the normal awkward stage that ended up with too many wasted socks, and then he figured things out and after that it was just a case of trying to educate him enough not to impregnate any girls before adulthood. With Blaine, she knew it wouldn’t be so easy. Blaine didn’t even realize that getting an obvious erection in public was something to be embarrassed about. 

He needed to be educated, calmly and with patience, to help him to understand what changes his body was going through. That wouldn’t be easy either, but Viv knew that her husband was perfectly capable of such a task. 

She held off as long as she could, hoping that maybe Blaine would be able to figure things out himself. That buried somewhere deep in that damaged brain of his was enough common sense to figure out how to solve his own problems. Except that didn’t seem to be the case, because he was terribly, obviously frustrated. It reached a breaking point one night when Viv checked on Blaine during his nightly bath only to find him naked, hard, and crying. Cheeks burning with slight embarrassment, she left him alone for a few minutes longer, then helped him with the rest of his nightly routine, as usual.

Later that night, she made her way into her husband’s office, where he usually locked himself away for the hours between dinner and when Blaine went to bed. Not because he was avoiding his family, but because they were the only quiet hours of the day he could do research for whatever case he was working on at the moment. Viv knocked on the door once before letting herself in and closing the door softly behind her. Her husband sat behind his desk, glasses on the end of his nose as he typed quickly on his laptop. At the sound of the door closing, he looked up.

“Hey,” he said softly, talking off his glasses and closing the laptop to give her his full attention. She only ever bothered him in here when it was something serious, and usually involving Blaine. “What’s up?”

Viv sighed and walked over to him, settling herself down gently in his lap and wrapping an arm around his neck. “Have you noticed anything different about Blaine lately?” 

Jack settled his arms around her waist and squeezed her closer, then shook his head. “No, not particularly. He was pretty fidgety at dinner, but I figured maybe he got into the cookies earlier and got himself on a sugar high.”

Viv allowed herself a laugh before turning serious again. “No, definitely not. I think you need to give him ‘the talk’.”

“What?” Jack looked surprised, as if the thought had never crossed his mind. “Why?”

“Because he’s thirteen now, and his body is going through changes and I honestly think he doesn’t understand it. He needs you to tell him what’s happening to him and how to deal with it. He needs to know about sex and…and masturbation. And he needs to know that it’s not bad thing, what’s happening to him,” Viv explained. Jack listened to her thoughtfully, although he didn’t seem convinced.

“I didn’t have to do this with Cooper,” said Jack. 

“He’s not Cooper and you know it. He’s _confused_ , and he needs his father to help him. I’m not asking you to give him a hands on demostration, Jack. I just want him to stop crying every time he gets an erection, or to stop trying to hide his soiled underwear because he thinks he wet the bed and he’ll get in trouble.” She stood up from his lap and paced around to the front of his desk, her arms wrapped around her middle. It was hard not to get emotional, just thinking about what could possibly be going on in Blaine’s head. He was still such a mystery to her.

“Fine. Fine, I will sit him down and give him the talk,” Jack finally agreed.

“Good. And you have to teach him about sex, too. He needs to know, and you know they’ll never speak a word of it to him at school,” she said. At that, Jack laughed, earning a glare from his wife.

“I’ll do it, but seriously Viv. You think some girl is gonna want to have sex with him some day? With all that emotional baggage? No one will want to put up with that. I’m sorry, but you know it’s true,” said Jack, shrugging off Viv’s glare. She sighed, and nodded. 

“You’re right. But just. Just educate him. The last thing we want is him giving in to those hormones and forcing himself onto someone,” she told him. He nodded in agreement.

“Alright. I’ll talk to him tomorrow, if he’s up for it.”

And tomorrow came too quickly in Jack’s opinion. He was nervous. When he was a teenage boy, his dad had simply told him, “Congratulations son, you’re a man now. Just try to keep it in your pants.” And when Cooper had turned fifteen, he sat him down for the talk only to be told, “I know dad, I’ve been masturbating since I was twelve and ever since they made us watch that video of the lady giving birth during sex ed, I never want to get anyone pregnant.”

But now, he was about to explain everything to his thirteen year old, brain damaged son, who barely had enough of an attention span to sit in one place for more than ten minutes. He took a deep breath, and opened the door of his office, where Blaine had been told to go wait. The boy was sitting in Jack’s office chair, giggling as he spun himself around. Jack smiled and walked over, grabbing the arm of the chair to make it stop.

“Hey, buddy,” said Jack. “Why don’t you sit on the couch with me?”

Blaine nodded and jumped from the chair, hurrying over to the gray couch against the wall on one side of the room. Jack sat beside him and took another deep breath. It was now or never. 

“So, Blaine, I wanted to talk to you about something very important. So I need you to listen, and ask me questions when you don’t understand, okay?” he prompted, looking into Blaine’s eyes to make sure he had the boy’s attention. Blaine seemed to get that he was serious, and his fidgeting quieted considerably.

“Yes, daddy,” said Blaine. Jack smiled. 

“Good. Well. There is a time in every young man’s life when his body starts to go through some changes in places that might seem a little strange,” began Jack. Blaine nodded, listening intently. “You know how you’re starting to get hair in funny places?”

Blaine scrunched up his face a little and nodded.

“Well, that’s part of puberty. And everyone goes through it. It means you’re changing from a boy to a man,” said Jack, already mentally slapping himself for how stupid it sounded out loud. Blaine seemed to understand, so Jack took it as a sign to continue. “There are other things that mean you’re changing to a man as well.”

“Daddy.” Blaine looked at him seriously. “I don’t wanna be a man. I’m good being a boy.”

Jack chuckled. “It doesn’t work like that, bud. You’re growing up, and your body is going to start doing things and wanting things.”

“Does this, it have to do with the…with my…the thingy?” Blaine trailed off to a whisper as he pointed between his legs. Jack raised an eyebrow. Maybe Blaine knew more about his own body than they gave him credit for. “Because sometimes it gets weird and hurts a little and I dunno what to do.”

“Well,” said Jack. “That’s what I wanted to talk to you about. Your…it’s called a penis. And what happens is it gets bigger. Blood flows to it and makes it bigger and hard. Then it’s called an erection.”

Blaine started to look confused, glancing between his lap and Jack like he was trying to reconcile the additions to his vocabulary with the things that had been happening to him.

“Penis. ‘Rection. That’s weird, daddy,” said Blaine.

“Yeah, I s’pose it is,” said Jack. “But it happens to every guy. We all have penises. And we all get erections.”

Blaine gasped and looked up at him, genuinely surprised. “You get them _too_? And Cooper?”

Jack nodded. “Yup. It happens to us all. It’s all perfectly natural, and it means that your body is ready for…for sex.”

Both of Blaine’s eyebrows raised, almost to the top of his forehead. So, he’d heard of sex. Not entirely surprising.

“S-sex? Is that…isn’t that icky? Cooper said sex is icky.” Blaine made a face and pulled his knees up to his chest, wrapping his arms around his legs. 

“Well, maybe it may sound that way now, but when you get a bit older, you’ll find yourself wanting things. You’ll start noticing things you never noticed before, about yourself. And about girls,” said Jack. He paused again when Blaine made a face of disgust and buried his head into his knees. 

“It’s perfectly normal, though,” said Jack urgently, gently attempting to nudge Blaine’s head back up, trying to keep his attention. “Sex is just something that all guys want, you don’t have to feel ashamed.”

“No it’s…” Blaine let out a little whine and pulled his head away. “What is sex?”

Jack sucked in a deep breath and then let it out slowly, trying to formulate a response in his head. How to explain it in terms Blaine would understand…

“Well. When two people love each other very much, they. Well. Basically. When you have sex, you have an erection and you’re naked with a girl and-…”

“Can it be a boy?” Blaine blurted loudly.

Jack froze, eyes wide and mouth open. He blinked and he looked at Blaine, into those hopeful eyes, his mind processing the words. Can it be a boy. Boys. Blaine wanted…was he gay? It was just a question, right? Nothing bad, he was just curious. It didn’t mean anything. Besides, Blaine didn’t even know what he liked on a sandwich at Subway, how could he know who he wanted to have sex with?

“Yes,” Jack finally said. “It could be a boy, I guess.”

Blaine perked up suddenly, looking very interested in their discussion. “Boys are pretty. I like them.”

“Oh,” said Jack. He tried to school his face into a neutral expression. “Well, okay. That’s good, I suppose. We’ll talk about sex later, okay? That’s for when you’re older. But I’ll tell you about masturbation. That’s something you can do now.”

And for the rest of the discussion, Blaine seemed interested in everything he had to say, absorbing every detail with interest. And when Jack finally let him go, he was pretty sure the boy went straight to his room to test out his knew knowledge. But he couldn’t stop thinking of Blaine’s confession, and what it would mean for him and his future.

………………...

Blaine went upstairs, taking them two at a time as he hurried to his room. It was between dinner and bedtime, so mommy was busy downstairs and daddy wouldn’t leave his office for a while either. Daddy said that this was the kind of thing he should only do when he was absolutely sure he was alone, because otherwise it could be really bad. 

His body hummed with excitement at the prospect of what he was going to do. He remembered short bursts of tingles in his dreams before he woke up to a hot, sticky mess in his underwear. Everything always felt better in the in between, after the tingles and before the sticky mess. Now he knew how to avoid the mess and just feel good. His daddy really was the best.

Once he was alone in his room, Blaine hurried to his bed and laid down, hooking his thumbs in the waistband of his pants and shimmying his hips until both his pants and underwear were midway down his thigh. His thing – penis, daddy had called it – twitched slightly as he hesitantly wrapped a hand around it. This was different touching than normal, and he gasped as he felt it growing in his hand. A whine built up in his throat as he gave an experimental tug. 

Oh.

 _Oh._

That was nice. 

He did it again, curiously watching through heavy lidded eyes as clear fluid beaded at the tip of his now fully hard erection. He squeezed his hand a little tighter and a moan of pleasure escaped his lips. His mind completely blanked and it felt like his hand between his legs was the absolute center of the universe as he stroked faster. His balls tingled and pulled up tight and he let out a cry as hot spurts of white fluid burst from the tip.

Gasping, he fell flat back on his bed, his body thrumming with pleasure from his orgasm. He felt the sticky fluid on his legs, hand, and tummy beginning to dry, but he was too boneless to even think about cleaning it up. He only hoped mommy didn’t come upstairs and find him any time soon.

…………………

Blaine didn’t speak of anything related to his sexuality for three years. A long while after the talk, he finally began to understand that private parts were meant to be private, even when it wasn’t that easy to hide them. The number of embarrassing public displays and awkward discoveries in Blaine’s laundry dwindled, and his mood vastly improved.

Life in the Anderson household at last began to fall into a grove of predictability and stability. Blaine was finally becoming comfortable with his body and his mind, and despite the brain damage things began to have the impression of normalcy. Blaine’s private, sexual life was his to deal with until something was brought to the attention of his parents, and the only thing they bothered to worry about was his lack of friends.

He started at East Lima High when he was fourteen, enrolled into the long term special education program with a focus on helping him prepare for a life of semi-independence. He was segregated from most of the classmates who had been tormented by his outbursts in class since elementary school, and everyone had thought finally Blaine’s education would actually start to benefit him. If only that had been the case. 

Blaine was bullied terribly by the other students. High school had turned them sour and every time he so much as stepped out of the classroom someone was there, flinging slurs at him. Words he didn’t even know the meaning of. It happened daily, then almost hourly. And soon, he was afraid to even go to the bathroom by himself. It was barely a month before Viv knew they had to get him out. 

So somehow, Jack worked extra hours, took on high profile clients, and made enough extra money that they could afford to send Blaine to Dalton Academy. While the school was praised for its academic excellence and strict anti-bullying code, there was a program there just for students like Blaine. But it didn’t last long either. They tried letting Blaine stay in the dorms, but no one knew how to handle him. Then Viv tried driving him there every day and back. It was just too much. At the end of his sophomore year, they tried one last option. William McKinley High.

It had no special education program, barely any arts programs, and the bullies drove Blaine into complete, ashamed silence during his first few weeks there. But just when his parents were about to pull him out of school for good, McKinley gave him Kurt.

……………………….

The first time Viv met Kurt Hummel, she did not trust him. He claimed he was there because he was Blaine’s partner on a history project and they needed to work on it together. She allowed them supervised privacy in the family room, provided them with drinks and snacks, and listened for any sounds of distress on Blaine’s part. After a couple hours, Kurt left expressing his thanks and Blaine’s smile remained until well into the night.

Kurt ended up being in most of Blaine’s classes, and became his partner on a lot of projects. Viv eventually discovered, after snooping through Blaine’s things while he was taking his bath, that Kurt was basically doing his homework for him, in order to give the impression of him succeeding at school. The gesture warmed Viv’s heart, just knowing that someone cared enough about Blaine, that someone was being a true friend. 

A month passed and Viv finally pulled Kurt aside one evening for a private conversation. He looked concerned as she sat him down at the island in the kitchen.

“H-have I done something wrong?” Kurt asked, nervously.

“No, dear, of course not. I was just wondering. Has Blaine told you anything about what’s wrong with him?” she asked. Kurt’s brow furrowed slightly and he shook his head. 

“I just assumed he’s a little slow, that’s all,” said Kurt carefully.

“He has brain damage,” said Viv, glancing into the other room where Blaine was sitting on the floor, looking at something on a laptop in front of him. Kurt gasped softly, bringing up a hand to cover his mouth.

“Oh my god. H-how?”

“When he was eight, he was in an accident that caused permanent brain damage. He’s a little slow, yes. It’s difficult for him to learn, focus, understand, talk, and he has difficulty with too much input. He gets exhausted easily and he doesn’t trust many people at all. I’m sure you’ve realized some of those things, but I think it’s time that you know for sure what is wrong with him, so that you can decide now if you want to cut your losses and run. He’s not exactly friend material.” Viv knew she was being harsh, but this was the reality. Blaine deserved friends, but true friends who wouldn’t abandon him. If Kurt was just going to leave him, best to do it now before Blaine got too attached.

“With all due respect, Mrs. Anderson. Brain damage or no, Blaine is my _best_ friend,” said Kurt. 

Viv tried not to let the shock or the tears in her eyes show as she dismissed the boy to go back to Blaine. Maybe things weren’t so bad after all.

……………….

There was a knock on the door of Jack’s office, and when the door didn’t open immediately after, Jack knew it wasn’t Viv. He pulled his glasses off and set them down, and called for the person to come in. Blaine slipped inside quickly, looking down at the floor as he closed the door behind him.

“Blaine? Buddy, you okay?” asked Jack, standing up, suddenly concerned.

“C-can we…can…talk?” Blaine asked in a tiny voice.

“Of course. Of course!” Jack walked over to the couch in his office and patted the seat beside him. Blaine shuffled over and sat down, his hands fisted tightly together in his lap. “What is it?”

“Um. I was. Um. Kurt and. We been friends like. Long time.”

“About six months, probably,” supplied Jack.

“And. And I. He makes. Can you. Tell me ‘bout sex?”

Jack was speechless for a moment, flashing back to three years ago when he’d been having this conversation the first time. Since then, he had been waiting for this moment. He knew Blaine would get curious one day, despite his initial reservations about Blaine having any sex at all with anyone. He’d become educated, picked up a few pamphlets, and learned as much about the mechanics of gay sex as he could, just in case his initial assumptions had been correct.

“Of course,” said Jack. “Do you want to know anything in particular? Or do you just want to know how it works?”

“Um.” Blaine paused and bit his lip nervously. His face was flushed bright red all the way down his neck. “I want. Just…how?”

Jack cleared his throat and recalled everything he had read before, and then slowly and patiently explained to Blaine how sex between two men worked. He explained that there were a lot of different ways to have sex, briefly describing some of them before moving on to anal penetration. It wasn’t the most comfortable of conversation topics, but he managed to muddle through it without losing Blaine’s attention. When he finished, Blaine was still blushing brightly and his eyes were wide.

“I want those things,” he declared. “I wanna do it with Kurt. He’s pretty and nice and my friend and I love him.”

Jack was almost shocked to hear Blaine say that. Almost. But then Jack remembered that he couldn’t just tell Blaine that sex was about penises and orgasms and what goes where. There was more to that, and Blaine deserved to know.

“Blaine, I want you to listen to me. Really listen, okay?” said Jack, dipping his head down slightly so he could meet Blaine’s downward cast gaze. Blaine looked up and nodded, looking like he was physically trying to keep his attention on his father. “Sex feels good. It feels amazing. But the thing that makes it amazing is sharing it with a person who is really, truly special to you. Now I know you think you love Kurt now, and maybe you do, but you have to decide if you are really ready to share this part of you with another person. Sex is something you can never take back after you give it, and it’s a big deal to a lot of people. That thing in your pants may be telling you just go for it, but you gotta do right by your heart. And your heart deserves to be able to decide who it loves before you go off having sex with people.”

Jack could see it, the protest in Blaine’s eyes. But I _want_ it dad. I want it bad. But then it disappeared, pushed aside by shining emotional understanding. Blaine _mattered_ and he knew it. He knew his feelings mattered more than anything, even if he was still battling that primal urge for sex.

“I love Kurt,” said Blaine, full of conviction and sincerity. “How do I. How to tell him?”

“Well. I guess the best thing to do is just…if you really want something you have to go and get it, Blaine. So just tell him how you feel and maybe he can tell you where he stands and then maybe you can work it out from there,” Jack told him, smiling by the encouraged look in Blaine’s eyes. 

“Okay. Thank you, daddy!” Blaine smiled and leaned forward enough to hug his dad tight, his face smooshed up against Jack’s chest. Jack returned the embrace tightly before letting him go. Part of him was glad that talk was over, and the other part seriously wondered if all that educating was the right thing to do.

………………..

It was nearing winter break when Kurt went over to Blaine’s house on a Saturday to work on his and Blaine’s chemistry project. Really, it was just Blaine sitting next to him staring at him with heart eyes while Kurt did all the work, but Kurt liked just being with Blaine so it was alright. He had realized a while ago that Blaine had a bit of a crush on him, and while Kurt felt as though he could easily return Blaine’s feelings, he didn’t even let himself go there. He didn’t even know if Blaine was capable of being mature enough for a relationship, so he kept a safe, friends only distance between them.

It was working great until Kurt let himself into Blaine’s bedroom that Saturday morning, much to the other boy’s surprise. As soon as Kurt entered the room, Blaine let out a little squeal and quickly scrambled to sit at the head of his bed, his knees pulled up to his chest and his eyes wide. He was dressed in sweatpants and a t-shirt, and his hair was a curly mess like he’d just woke up.

“Kurt!” squeaked Blaine. “What are you doing here?”

“I’m here to work on our project, silly. Don’t you remember?” Kurt smiled and set down his messenger bag, walking slowly toward the bed. Blaine shook his head indicating that he didn’t remember, and he curled up around himself tighter. His wide eyes looked at Kurt, sweeping down his body from head to toe, and he let out a distressed whimper.

“Blaine, sweetie, is something wrong?” asked Kurt, coming closer quickly to see if something had happened. He had adapted to Blaine’s unique way of expressing himself and his thoughts easily over the last couple months, but he’d never seen Blaine do this. He had helped him through episodes of both good and bad emotions, but the way he was positioned…it looked physical.

And indeed it was. Blaine let out another whine from the back of his throat and uncurled his body before blurting loudly:

“I want sex!” 

And at the same instance Blaine’s words sunk in, Kurt’s eyes drifted to the rather prominent tent in his sweatpants. Kurt’s own eyes widened and he backed away quickly, silently panicking as he debated what to say or do next. Before he knew it, he was near the door, ready to bolt out.

“Um. Alright then. I’ll just let you have a few minutes to take care of that, okay?” Kurt said nervously, blushing from his forehead to his chest.

“No, no!” Blaine whimpered, looking deflated and reaching a hand out for Kurt. “I want. I want it with you.” 

Kurt’s eyes widened even more, if that was even possible. He stayed frozen by the door, glancing between Blaine’s face and his lap, where the other boy’s erection had noticeably deflated. 

“Honey, that’s flattering, really, but that’s not something you just say to your friends, okay? How about we just forget this ever happened and work on our project?” Kurt offered, giving Blaine a chance to just forget and move on, like he was able to do so easily.

“No.” Blaine shook his head quickly. “No, Kurt. Daddy said if I really want something I have to just. I have to go and get it. And-and I want you. I want sex with you. I really, really do.”

“That’s nice, Blaine, and I’m not saying the feeling isn’t mutual, but we’re not even. God, we’re not even dating, or-or boyfriends. Things happen in a certain order. We go on a date, we think about what it will be like being more than friends, we go on more dates, you ask to kiss me, I say yes, we kiss for a while and then we explore, experiment. Then sex comes later. Much, much later. And I just…it’s not all about you, Blaine. Sex isn’t about you. It’s about more. Being more with another person.” Kurt tried to keep himself sounding neutral, but his words grew louder and faster the more he spoke, and he couldn’t tell if it hurt Blaine or confused him.

“But I want more. I want everything. I love you,” said Blaine. He stood up carefully and took a hesitant step toward Kurt, who was mildly freaking out by the turn of events. 

“No, Blaine. No. You don’t. You don’t even know what you’re talking about. You’re my best friend. That’s all. We’re best friends. No sex, no love, just friends. Do you understand that?”

He asked the question and watched Blaine’s expression go from surprised, to hurt, to angry all in one instant. Blaine turned away, aggressively running a hand through his hair several times. A tic of his when he was overwhelmed by emotions too quickly for his brain to process them. Also a sign he was on the edge of an episode.

“Stop!” Blaine suddenly yelled. “Stop treating me like I don’t know how I feel! I _feel_ , Kurt! I feel love, in my heart, for you!” He punctuated his words by slapping his palm against his chest, near his heart. “And I am sorry! I don’t know how to…how to-to say things. Or get you to, or get, ask you to do stuff! I am a normal boy! I feel. I feel in my heart and I feel in my body! I love you, and it’s not, it’s, it feels right and I just. Want to be, be normal.”

Kurt felt his heart break a little at Blaine’s outburst, and he quickly closed the gap between them, wrapping his arms around his friend. He was still freaking out a little, trying to process what this meant for their friendship, when Blaine melted into his arms. He leaned against Kurt’s body with all his weight and clung to him, and Kurt felt him in a way he never had before. He was there, solid and real against him, and he wasn’t just Kurt’s brain damaged friend who needed his help, he was a real, normal boy. A real, handsome sixteen year old boy who felt real feelings, both emotionally and physically, and had real wants and desires.

“Blaine…” Kurt sighed, pressing his face down into the warm curve of Blaine’s neck. He hugged him tighter before pushing him away slightly, holding him at arm’s length. “Blaine, look at me.” 

Blaine raised his eyes, looking slightly hopeful.

“I would be delighted to have sex with you. Someday. But for now, what do you say to dinner? Just you and me, a romantic dinner at my house, and the possibility of more eventually?” Kurt offered, searching for understanding in Blaine’s face. 

The other boy nodded and gave him a tired smile.

“Okay. A date?” 

Kurt smiled and drew him in for another hug. “A date.”

………………………………..

_Present_

Kurt led Blaine into the bedroom, closing the curtain and suddenly forgetting that they had any roommates at all. Blaine’s lips moved along the sensitive skin behind his ear, breathing hot breath along the moist trail left after the line of soft, sucking kisses. He moaned and gripped Blaine’s arms, steering him backwards until the backs of his legs hit the bed and he went down, pulling Kurt with him.

Blaine’s hands trailed down Kurt’s arms, then traveled up his sides, pushing his shirt up as he went. Kurt rolled Blaine over slightly so he was on his back, then sat up and pulled his shirt off before doing the same for Blaine. He looked down at his gorgeous boyfriend, his honey eyes wide and dark, his lips kiss swollen and parted.

Kurt surged back down to meet his lips, kissing him deeply and running his hands up Blaine’s compact torso, his thumbs brushing his nipples and drawing out a low, growl of a moan. Blaine’s hands made their way down Kurt’s back and under the waistband of his pants, grabbing Kurt’s ass in greedy handfuls and pulling their hips together. Kurt gasped and pressed down, grinding hard as he felt the length of Blaine’s hard cock. 

It wasn’t long before Blaine couldn’t take it anymore, and he flipped them over so he was on top, his hips thrusting quickly against Kurt’s thigh as he sucked red marks down Kurt’s chest. He grunted softly with each thrust and Kurt held onto his shoulders, moaning as Blaine sucked one of his nipples, teasing it with his tongue.

Blaine was running on nothing but instinct now. His hormones, the primal urge to fuck, and the deep seeded knowledge of how to make Kurt feel good were all that mattered, and all else had shut down. Blaine’s hands grappled at Kurt’s hips, trying to rid him of his pants so he could get to what he needed more easily. Kurt pulled his hands away and pushed Blaine onto his side, pulling him back up to kiss him once more.

Blindly he unbuttoned his pants and shoved them off, underwear quickly following. Blaine’s hand instantly reached for Kurt’s cock in a desperate attempt to touch, feel, please him. Kurt batted it away and chuckled softly at Blaine’s needy moan. He focused on getting Blaine fully undressed, quickly taking off his pants and leaning down to place a soft kiss on the leaking head of Blaine’s cock. 

Another growling moan built up in Blaine’s throat and Kurt knew his patience was quickly waning. 

“Mmm. Kurt. Need you,” growled Blaine, his voice deep and lust filled as he crawled toward Kurt, kissing and nipping at any bit of skin he could reach, his hands wandering all over Kurt’s body. Kurt crawled across the bed to the nightstand, pulling out the bottle of lube.

“I know, honey,” Kurt whispered soothingly, pulling Blaine up as he flopped onto his back. Blaine’s body fit perfectly between his legs, and he distracted Blaine with a deep kiss as he quickly lubed his own fingers. Blaine was often a caring, attentive lover, but occasionally he couldn’t help the pure need thrumming through his body and driving him to just take.

“Want you so bad…” Blaine panted into the kiss, his hands pawing at Kurt’s thighs, spreading his legs wider as Kurt slipped his hand between his legs, working himself open with one finger, then quickly two. Blaine ground his hips down, his hard cock rubbing along the length of Kurt’s, making it harder to concentrate. He worked quickly, finally spreading himself open enough and then drizzling lube over Blaine’s cock. 

He gasped as Kurt’s hand spread the lube around, slicking him up. He thrust into Kurt’s fist a few times before he couldn’t take it anymore. Positioning his cock at Kurt’s entrance, he pushed in as slowly as he could control himself, which wasn’t much. Kurt cried out at the fast, intrusive pressure of Blaine’s cock, then once he was fully buried inside, Kurt wrapped his legs around Blaine’s hips to hold him still. 

“Kurt...” Blaine whined in protest, trying to thrust against Kurt’s grip. Everything was so hot and tight around his cock and everything told him to just thrust.

“Honey, I gotta adjust…” panted Kurt, trying to relax his muscles. Blaine was definitely not small, larger than average, and even though they had done this many times, it still took getting used to. At last he managed to relax and he dropped his legs. 

Instantly Blaine pulled back, then thrust forward quickly. His hips began a steady rhythm as he looked down at Kurt, his eyes dark and lustful, but also hinting at the love he felt for Kurt. He gripped Kurt’s thighs and pushed them up, changing the angle of Kurt’s hips so that each thrust caused his cock to brush against that elusive, pleasure-filled spot. 

Kurt nearly screamed the first time his prostate was brushed, and every thrust after sent his eyes rolling back in pleasure. His cries of pleasure only spurred Blaine on, causing him to speed his thrusts up. It wasn’t long before Blaine was close, his thrusts becoming more erratic as he chased his orgasm.

“Mm, Kurt, please…gonna…” Blaine whined as he leaned over and placed little kisses on Kurt’s chest. He hated when Kurt didn’t come with him, and desperately held back until he could get Kurt over the edge.

“Touch me,” said Kurt breathlessly. “Please…oh _Blaine_ …”

Blaine’s sweaty, shaking hand gripped Kurt’s cock tight and began to jerk him in time with his fast, hard thrusts. It wasn’t long before Kurt was on the edge too.

“Oh god Blaine yes! There, almost there…” Kurt broke off into a loud, high pitched moan as the familiar tingling sensation built up. He felt hot bursts inside of him as Blaine moaned loudly, slamming his hips forward as he came. Kurt followed quickly behind, the feeling of Blaine coming sending him over the edge, crying Blaine’s name.

Seconds later, the heavy weight of Blaine collapsed on top of him, and Kurt sighed happily as he ran his hands through his sweat dampened curls. Blaine hummed softly and snuggled into Kurt’s body, his hips moving just enough for his softening cock to slip out.

“Love you…” Blaine murmured softly, already slipping off to a sated slumber.

“I love you too,” said Kurt, smiling as he kissed the top of Blaine’s head. 

And in that moment, like every other intimate moment they had shared, Kurt was glad for Blaine’s frankness that Saturday at his house. If he hadn’t declared what he wanted so openly, Kurt may have never seen that despite being anything but normal, Blaine was the best and only boyfriend and lover Kurt would ever need.


	4. Rachel Takes a Turn

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rachel takes a turn at watching Blaine, and really screws up.

“Hey, Rachel!” Kurt jogged to catch up with his friend as she strode purposefully down the NYADA hallway. She paused at his voice and smiled brightly, extending out an arm for him to take.

“Hello, Kurt. I thought you’d be on your way home by now,” said Rachel, looking up at him as she hugged his arm tight.

“I will in a minute, but I wanted to catch you before I left in case you didn’t come home until later,” said Kurt. “I have a favor to ask you. And you have to say yes because I _know_ you’re not busy tomorrow."

“Okay. I was going to spend tomorrow having a little ‘me’ time, but you rescheduled your band practice and watched Blaine last week when it was my turn, so what do you need?” asked Rachel, offering Kurt another smile.

“Well, spending time with Blaine isn’t exactly a chore, right?” asked Kurt, chuckling nervously.

“No, not at all! I mean, when he’s normal, anyway,” said Rachel.

“Right. I need you to stay with him tomorrow. Like all day. And most of the night,” Kurt told her. “And I need you to not back out this time. Because you agreed to take your turn.”

“Of course I’ll stay with him! It’s not a problem at all. You can count on me.” Rachel stopped and turned to face him, her most enthusiastic grin in place. She stood on her toes and kissed his cheek. “Gotta go, if I’m late, Cassie July will kill me.”

She ran off to her class, and Kurt heaved a sigh. Blaine had been with them in New York for six months and Rachel had not once taken a turn spending the day with Blaine. Kurt was trying to have a social life, but his commitment to Blaine was more important and Rachel was entitled to her career. However, this time Kurt was not letting her get away with getting out of it at the last minute.

Kurt left the school and began his walk to the subway, pulling out his phone and created a text to Elliott, his new friend and bandmate. So far their band didn’t have a name, nor did they have any gigs, but Kurt considered it a nice way to keep his voice fresh and practiced, as well as to spend some time doing something for himself.

_Rachel agreed. Practice at yours?_

Elliott quickly texted his reply.

_Of course. Don’t forget the sheet music!_

Kurt smiled to himself as he headed down the stairs to the subway. He texted back a quick _I won’t_ and hurried to catch his train.

.....................................

Blaine was practically waiting by the door when Kurt arrived home fifteen minutes late. He pushed open the loft door and barely had time to set his bag down before he had an arm full of Blaine. Hugging his adorable boyfriend tight, he looked over Blaine’s shoulder to see a fuming Santana in her work uniform.

“You’re late,” said Santana. “You’re late, now I’m late, and your boy is being extra clingy today. You’re lucky I’m in too much of a hurry to be angry.”

She pushed past him and left the loft before he could really pay her any attention, and suddenly he was alone with Blaine, who nuzzled his face into the side of Kurt’s neck and let out little happy sounds. Kurt gently rubbed Blaine’s back and kissed his forehead, then pulled back enough to look him over.

“How are you?”

“Happy you’re home,” said Blaine, trying to snuggle back into Kurt’s arms. He chuckled and pushed him off slightly, nudging him toward the living room. Blaine complied, stumbling his way to the couch and flopping down, looking up at Kurt. “Me and Santana went to the store and I help her carry the bags. I got a free donut! It was good.”

Kurt smiled and sat beside Blaine, holding up his arm for Blaine, who eagerly cuddled up under it. He was just coming off a bad week and craved physical affection, which Kurt was happy to provide. Soon his body was pressed against Kurt’s side, his face nuzzled into Kurt’s shoulder and his eyes closed with a happy smile on his face. Kurt lightly stroked his back and let them sit in silence for a few minutes, enjoying the solid warmth of Blaine beside him.

“Blaine,” Kurt broke the silence. Hazel eyes opened and looked up at him. “Tomorrow I’ve got a busy day and night, so Rachel’s gonna be staying with you from morning until I get home.”

“Okay!” Blaine smiled, knowing a day with Rachel meant a lot of listening to her talk, but also watching all the musicals that Santana banned when she was around. “What you gonna do all day?”

“Well, I’ve got three hours at the diner before class, then school and some extra rehearsals for dance class, and then band practice,” said Kurt. Blaine sat up a little.

“Band practice? Does that mean Elliott is coming over?” asked Blaine.

“Not this time. We’re having band practice at his place,” replied Kurt. Blaine’s eyebrows drew together and he pursed his lips unhappily, pulling away from Kurt completely.

“Can I come?” he asked.

“No, honey. We’re having practice at his place because I don’t want to have you around all the loud music. You just came off a week of bad headaches, and I don’t want to do anything that’ll make you feel bad like that again,” Kurt told him. Blaine looked at him, clearly not pleased by this development.

“I don’t have a headache now,” said Blaine.

“Yes, but you know how sensitive you get.” Kurt shifted to face him, drawing one leg up on the couch and tucking it under him. Blaine crossed his arms over his chest.

“I am not a baby, Kurt.”

“I know that, honey. I’m not trying to treat you like one. But it hurts me to see you hurting, and I’ll do anything to keep you safe.” Kurt reached for Blaine’s hand, prying his arms apart and twining their fingers together. Blaine let it happen, looking down at their hands with a contemplative look on his face.

“Fine. But tell Elliott I said hands off. _My_ Kurt,” said Blaine before crawling forward half into Kurt’s lap, snuggling against his torso.

Kurt smiled and chuckled, wrapping both arms around Blaine. His boyfriend’s jealousy about him spending time with his bandmate had been obvious for a while, but he knew it was harmless.

“Of course I’m your Kurt. And you’re my Blaine.” He kissed the top of Blaine’s head and held him close.

………………………

The next morning Rachel watched Kurt hurry around the apartment, stuffing books into his bag, cleaning up breakfast, and making sure Blaine was dressed and properly groomed. And at the same time, trying to give her a detailed run through of Blaine’s daily schedule, leaving nothing out.

“…and make sure he eats fruit _and_ veggies in his lunch, if you let him choose he’ll just try to eat cereal. He likes to help clean up after, so let him help but don’t let him into the knives he’s terrible clumsy. And then after lunch you have to make sure he spends at least an hour on his workbooks.”

Kurt paused in his hurrying to gesture at the desk in the corner of the living room. Rachel rolled her eyes.

“I don’t understand why you force him to do those things, Kurt. They’re for like, fourth graders or something,” said Rachel, exasperated.

Kurt stopped what he was doing and sighed. “I don’t force him, Rachel. He wants to. Since I met him, we’ve been working through them starting at first grade level. It started out I just wanted to see how much he remembered or had absorbed since his accident, then I just started teaching him and someday he wants to get his GED. So he works on them every day. Just help him if he needs it, please.”

Rachel bit her bottom lip, then nodded. “Sorry,” she said. “I didn’t know it meant that much to him.”

“Well it does, or I wouldn’t have said it,” said Kurt. He went back to cleaning up breakfast dishes just as Blaine came out of the bathroom, humming happily. “Alright. No loud music or sing offs, Rachel. Remember Blaine’s head. I have some pre-made dinners in the freezer, just let him pick one and make it for him. I’ll be back before his bedtime, so don’t worry about his bath. I’ll take care of it.”

“Got it,” said Rachel, nodding confidently. “I’ll take the very best care of our special boy.”

“Good. Thank you. Oh, and don’t forget it’s Thursday, he calls his mom around three and they usually talk for two hours.”

“Kurt, Kurt! I got it! Just relax, okay? I know how to take care of him,” Rachel assured him. Kurt looked skeptical for a moment, but then just smiled and gave her a quick hug.

“Alright, I’ll go now.” Kurt turned to Blaine, who stood quietly watching him. He hugged him tight and kissed his cheek. “I’ll be home before bed tonight, I promise. I love you.”

“Love you too,” replied Blaine, barely getting the words out before Kurt was gone. Blaine pouted a little as he looked at Rachel, who looked at him eagerly.

“Well, Blaine, what should we do first?”

Blaine shrugged and stood next to the kitchen table, drawing little patterns on the wood surface with the tips of his fingers. Rachel observed him for a moment, reminded of the shy, quiet boy Kurt had introduced her to a couple years ago. He was still shy and quiet, but not so much at home. And definitely not when he was being intimate with Kurt.

Rachel shook the thought out of her head and took two big steps toward him, then grasped his hand. “I have the perfect idea. Let’s have a High School Musical movie marathon. You love those movies, right?”

Blaine blinked and shrugged again. Rachel sighed. So it was going to be like that, then.

She squeezed his hand and tugged him to the living room, dragging him down on the couch. Blaine flopped down into the spot he spent entirely too much time in, in Rachel’s opinion, but he maintained his silence and vacant expression.

“Hey. What’s wrong? Don’t get all sulky on me. How can we have a fun day as besties if you get lost in that silly head of yours?” Rachel asked, trying to sound playful as she gently poked his temple with her finger.

Blaine batted her hand away and scrunched his face, pulling his legs up under him on the couch. Rachel sighed and went to turn on the movie.

“I wish Kurt would stay,” said Blaine softly, about an hour into the movie. His voice startled Rachel, and she immediately reached for the remote to pause it. It was a soft, childlike tone, completely innocent and hinting slightly toward confusion.

“I know you do, but he’s busy. He really loves you and he tries hard to make sure you’ve got what you need, but sometimes he just wants to feel…normal. I guess…” Rachel trailed off, regretting her choice of words. “Normal” was a touchy subject for Blaine.

“I miss him. I stay here all day, I wait, and I, he stays away until, until late. I want him home. Or I want to go, go out. With him,” said Blaine, looking down at his hands as he picked at a loose thread on a throw pillow. Rachel looked at him sadly, for once in her life at a loss for words. It wasn’t the first time she felt completely sorry for Blaine and his situation.

………………………...

The day had passed quickly once they watched two of the High School Musical movies. Rachel made lunch, then tried (and failed) to help Blaine through a handful of relatively simple long division problems, and then endured two and a half hours of keeping her own mouth shut while Blaine conversed with his mother over Skype. Then just as Rachel was heating up Blaine’s chosen pre-made dinner, her phone rang.

She answered it, only to be surprised that it was one of her NYADA classmates she had befriended while they mutually endured their horrible acting coach, who didn’t _even_ realize the talent he had in his midst. Amy informed her of an audition for a chorus members in Wicked, a foot in the door that Rachel could not pass up. It was being held in an hour, and Rachel had just enough time to find an audition song, get dressed, and be there.

There was only one problem, she realized, as she hung up and looked over to see Blaine flipping through one of Kurt’s fashion magazines. She could take him with her, but it would be nearly impossible to keep her eye on him the entire time. She decided quickly she wouldn’t take the risk. She’d just have to go to the audition, be in and out fast, and then return to Blaine before any problems arose.

“Blaaaine!” Rachel sang his name and danced over to him, smiling at the happy expression on his face as he looked up at her. They had resolved his melancholy hours ago, and things had been going well.

“Raaaaachel!” Blaine sang back, closing his magazine.

“I have some news,” said Rachel. “I’m going to audition for a real Broadway show!”

Blaine gasped and clapped happily. “Rachel! That’s so cool!”

“I know!” Rachel squealed. “And the audition is like, right now. So I’ve got to get ready and go.”

“Okay.” Blaine nodded and pushed himself up to his feet. “I’ll get my coat!”

He paused and looked at Rachel as her face fell slightly.

“Oh. Oh, honey, no. You’re going to stay here. I’m going by myself. But I won’t be gone long! Just an hour or so, just right down the street. And then I’ll be right back and you won’t even remember I was gone.” Rachel’s smile returned, despite the look of panic on Blaine’s face.

“But…but I’m not. I can't be alone. You’re s’posed to stay here or-or call Kurt. Not s’posed to just leave!” His voice grew louder and high pitched, and Rachel actually considered for a moment just skipping the audition all together, but Rachel Berry _never_ let _anything_ stand between her and her career. Not even Blaine, no matter how much she loved him.

“You’ll be _fine_. Don’t panic! Look. Here, I’ll put on a Disney movie, okay? And you just sit here and watch it right here on the couch, and I’ll be back before it’s over.” Rachel hurried around the couch to the DVD collection and pulled out _The Lion King_ – a movie that never failed to calm Blaine down. She quickly put it in the player and looked over as Blaine hesitantly sat down on the edge of the couch cushion.

“I dunno, Rachel…I never, ‘m not s’posed to…” Blaine muttered helplessly, looking up at her with big eyes.

She sighed and strode over to him, putting her hands on his cheeks and tilting his head up. “You are gonna be _fine_. Trust me. When have I ever lied to you?”

Without giving him time to answer, she placed a sloppy kiss on the side of his mouth and hurried away, gathering her coat and bag. With a goodbye and a wave, she hurriedly left the loft, leaving Blaine sitting there by himself.

………………......

Just like that she was gone. Blaine stared at the closed door of the loft for a moment, then turned to the television. _The Lion King_ played, but the sound wasn’t up very loud. He settled into the couch and pulled his legs up to his chest, curling up as small as he could. He was alone, and suddenly the loft seemed like way too big of a space. Looking around, he swore he could see the walls moving away from him.

He was one tiny human in such a huge room and it was _scary_. Burying his face into his knees, he hummed softly along with the music in the movie to try to distract the panicked, disorderly thoughts racing through his mind. He hadn’t been alone since for as long as he could remember. Mama never left him alone, _ever_. And neither did Daddy. Sure, he’d sometimes have a room to himself but there was always someone in the house and now there was no one and he couldn’t remember where he put his phone so he couldn’t call Kurt and Rachel was gone and Santana was at work and Kurt was away and he was _alone_!

He took a deep breath and peeked up, keeping his eyes glued on the television. Yes. He could do this. Watch the movie. Watch the movie, then he won’t be alone.

 _Thud_.

Blaine let out a squeak and dove down onto the floor, pressed up against the couch and covering his head. He waited a moment and heard nothing, then rose up slowly and looked around. Still alone. His heart pounded in his chest and he whimpered softly.

_Bang! Clang!_

A sound from outside startled him and he scrambled to his feet, looking around desperately for a place to hide. Trembling, he stumbled into the kitchen just as the loud ringing of the oven timer began to go off. He cried out and covered his ears with his palms, pressing in tightly as he hurried for the safety of his and Kurt’s bedroom, hurrying to hide behind the bed, on the side closest to the wall. Tears filled his eyes and blurred his vision as his hands slid up into his hair, gripping it tight and trying to block out the sounds.

He whimpered again and sniffled, his mind racing and a slow ache building up behind his eyes and up to his forehead.

_Kurt please come home Kurt I need you I’m so scared please please come home please!_

A tiny sob escaped his lips and he sniffled again, this time getting a whiff of the air around him, smelling something burning. Crawling, he slowly went around the bed and peeked out of the curtain. He gasped and shrank back at what he saw, curling up and sobbing softly.

There was smoke coming from the oven. Rachel had forgotten she was in the middle of heating up his dinner.

Blaine took a deep breath and violent rubbed at his eyes, trying to brush the tears away. He had to do something. Rachel was gone Kurt was gone he was alone he had to do _something_.

Pushing himself up off the floor, he shuffled into the kitchen and looked at the oven cautiously. He looked at the panel of knobs and buttons and saw one that said “off”, and he poked it quickly. Something beeped at him and he retracted his hand quickly, but the light was still on. He whimpered again and twisted a couple of knobs until they clicked, and the light on the display went out. Biting his lip, he opened the oven door and was hit with a face full of smoke. He cried out and backed away quickly, slamming the door shut.

This was bad. This was very bad. Someone needed to come home _right now_.

Blaine looked around frantically, trying to find something that could be a quick solution to his problems. He saw nothing, but then he remembered. Rachel said she was just going down the street. He could go find her! He could go down the street and find her and bring her back, then everything would be all better!

He wiped at his eyes again and looked at the oven, watching as the smoke dissipated. Yes. He would just go and get Rachel and bring her back. Everything would be fine once he did that.

Without even grabbing his jacket, Blaine hurried out of the loft and into the cold New York night.

…………………………..

Santana returned home from work at ten that night, dropping her stuff on the floor inside the door and shaking off the February chill. The loft smelled faintly of burnt lasagna and one head of brown hair could be seen in the living room. So Rachel had actually done what she was supposed to do. Santana was impressed.

She strode into the other room and looked around, seeing that Rachel was alone.

“Hey, Santana,” said Rachel, smiling up at her.

“Hi. Where’s Blaine?” asked Santana, not returning the smile. Rachel shrugged and stretched her arms above her head.

“In bed? I haven’t seen him in a while. I guess I just figured he went to bed early,” replied Rachel.

Santana didn’t believe that for a moment. Blaine hardly ever went to bed early when Kurt wasn’t home.  She narrowed her eyes and strode over to Kurt and Blaine’s room, pushing back the curtains to find the bed looking empty and untouched.

“He’s not here,” said Santana. “Where is he?”

Rachel was standing now, looking sort of panicked as she wrung her hands over and over. “Um…I don’t…know…?”

“This isn’t funny, Rachel. What did you do with Blaine?” Santana strode through the loft quickly, looking into the empty bathroom, peeking into every empty corner, looking under tables and furniture. Her movements grew more frantic the longer she went without finding him. Soon she was standing in front of a paralyzed Rachel, getting right into her face. “ _What_ did you do with my boy?”

“Nothing!” Rachel squeaked. “H-he was supposed to be here!”

“What are you talking about?” Santana raised her voice, nearly shouting right in Rachel’s face.

“I left, okay! I left and I said I’d be right back and I _was_ and I just figured he went to bed!” Rachel backed away, yelling in defense of herself.

“You _what_?”

Both Santana and Rachel froze at the sound of Kurt’s voice, then slowly turned to face the entry. Kurt stood there, a look of anger and disbelief on his face.

“You _left_ him? Seriously? Where is he?” Kurt looked around, looking for any sign of Blaine. “What did you do with my boyfriend, Rachel?”

“I-I left! There was an audition and I couldn’t miss it and I couldn’t bring him! I told him to sit right here and watch _The Lion King_ and I’d be right back. When I got back it looked like he just went to bed, and I didn’t want to disturb him!” explained Rachel, her voice quivering on the verge of tears as both Santana and Kurt glared at her.

“You left him. You left Blaine alone. You know part of the reason he’s not supposed to be alone here is to make sure he doesn’t leave by himself! If he’s gone…if he’s gone he’ll never be able to find his way back,” said Kurt, remarkably calmly for the panic he was beginning to feel as he began his own sweep of the apartment.

“I’m sorry! I didn’t think he would _leave_!” cried Rachel. “I thought he would know not to leave!”

“He doesn’t know not to do anything, that’s why he needs us!” Santana snapped. “Jesus, Rachel, you had one job. _One job_. I should have skipped my shift. I should have stayed home with him.”

“It’s not your fault, Santana,” said Kurt, overturning a few cushions on chairs. “Oh come on Blaine, please come out now this isn’t funny.

Kurt jumped suddenly as his phone rang loudly. His hands shaking from the fear and adrenaline, he pulled out his phone and saw an unfamiliar number. He answered hesitantly, feeling Rachel and Santana staring at him.

“H-hello…yeah…oh thank god…thank you so much. Yeah, of course, I’ll be right there. Thanks so much again. Okay, okay bye.”

He hung up and tucked his phone in his pocket, then looked over at the girls.

“He’s at the bakery on the corner. I gotta go.”

……………………………………

Veronica Bernard had been working at Tracey’s Bakery for six months now, right around the time Blaine started coming in. She knew him by name and always managed to sneak him a little something extra just to see him smile. He reminded her a lot of her little brother back home in Indiana. And maybe she had a little crush on Santana, and making Blaine happy always made Santana happy too.

Knowing that Blaine never left the apartment on his own, she was more than a little surprised when she was about to head home, the bakery all locked up and shut down, and she noticed a familiar figure hunched over and shuffling down the sidewalk. He had one arm wrapped around his middle and the other with his hand buried in his hair, gripping with a tight fist. He muttered to himself, walking a few paces down the sidewalk, then turning toward the street. Just as he was about step into the road, Veronica ran over to him and grabbed his arm.

“Hey! You’re gonna get yourself killed!” she said, pulling him back with a jerk.

Blaine let out a squeak of surprise and cowered away from her.

“What are you doing out here?” she asked softly, leaning down a little to try to look at his face. She could see in his wide eyes that he was terrified and had no idea where he was. Tears poured down his red, splotchy cheeks and his body trembled. From fear or from the cold, she didn’t know. She reached down and grasped his hand softly, giving him a gentle tug back toward the bakery.

“Wha-what…you…?” Blaine whimpered softly and sniffled.

“I’m taking you inside. It’s freezing out here and you shouldn’t be alone,” Veronica told him.

He stiffly followed her as she pulled him inside the bakery. The lights were dimmed, so she flipped them back on, leading Blaine over to a chair. He sat down hard, as if his shaking legs could no longer hold him up, then he pulled his legs up and hugged them to his chest. Still crying softly, he allowed her to look him over, making sure he wasn’t injured.

“What were you doing out by yourself?” she asked, prying one of his arms away from his legs to check it over. He let out a pitiful little sob in reply, and she felt her heart break a little. She found no injuries on the limb, but she did notice the goosebumps all over his skin. He must have been freezing. Just as she was about to let him have his arm back, she noticed a glint of silver around his wrist. A medical bracelet, like the kind her little brother had. Gently, she turned the silver plate over so she could read the words inscribed there. 

_Blaine Anderson_  
 _Severe brain damage_  
 _May not respond to inquiries_  
 _If found please contact Kurt:  
_ _419-555-0172_

Her heart ached a little more as she read the tiny words. Keeping her eye on him, she left him sitting there and hurried behind the counter. She got a cup and started to heat up some water, figuring a little hot chocolate might be able to warm him up. Pulling out her cellphone, she dialed the number she had seen on the bracelet.

“ _H-hello_?” answered a frantic, high sounding voice.

“Hi, um is this Kurt?” she asked, pinching her phone between her ear and her shoulder as she stirred in the hot chocolate mix.

“ _Yeah_ …”

“This is Veronica, I work at Tracey’s Bakery. I’m just calling to tell you I’ve got Blaine here,” she said.

“ _Oh thank god!_ ” the voice exclaimed.

“I wasn’t sure if he was supposed to be out or not but he looked so scared, then I saw his bracelet and he wasn’t talking so I’ve got him here at the bakery. I’ll stay with him until you get here,” she babbled a little as she popped a lid on the cup.

“ _Thank you so much_.”

“You know where the bakery is, right? Just down the street from your building, Santana comes here a lot.”

“ _Yeah, of course. I’ll be right there. Thanks so much again_.”

“We’ll be here waiting.” She chuckled awkwardly as she headed back to where Blaine sat, setting the cup in front of him.

“ _Okay, okay bye._ ”

The man, Kurt, hung up. Then she slipped her phone back in her pocket and nudged the cup closer to Blaine.

“That was Kurt on the phone. He’s coming to get you,” she told him softly.

Blaine let out a little squeak and buried his face in his knees. He whined softly and buried his hand in his unruly curls again, fisting his hand in them in a way that had to be painful. Slowly he began to rock back and forth on the chair, little sobs wracking through his whole body.

It didn’t take more than two minutes for the door of the bakery to burst open. In came a tall man – presumably Kurt – followed by Santana and a shorter brunette girl, Rachel, the third roommate she had heard of. Kurt hurried over to Blaine, instantly throwing his arms around him and holding him tight.

Veronica watched as Blaine unwrapped his limbs and clung to Kurt tightly. There was a lot more story to this, and she only hoped someday she’d get to hear it all. And by the way Santana’s eyes shifted to her and her lips quirked upward in a smile, she had a feeling that day would come soon.

……………………………

Kurt didn’t say anything until they got back to the loft. Blaine was curled in on himself, glued to Kurt’s side and still crying softly. He immediately maneuvered Blaine into a chair at the kitchen table, then leaned down to hug him tight. Blaine let out a loud sob, burying his face in Kurt’s neck. His face was scrunched up like he was in pain, and Kurt knew where this was steadily heading.

“Shhh, sweetheart. Deep breaths. C’mon. Just breathe, it’s gonna be okay,” Kurt whispered soothingly. He knew what he said wouldn’t matter. Blaine was already too far gone, buried up in some head space Kurt wouldn’t be able to get to until this episode had run its course. All Kurt could do is hold him until he cried it out, then get him to bed and try to soothe him until he fell asleep, all while hoping nothing set off Blaine’s more volatile emotions.

“Is he okay?” Santana asked, kneeling in front of Blaine and checking him over.

“He’s going into an episode. I think he’s just scared,” said Kurt softly, pressing a tender kiss to the top of Blaine’s head.

“We should get him to bed soon,” said Santana, slipping her hand into Blaine’s, giving it a comforting squeeze. He responded only by crying harder.

“He’s too locked up to lay down right now. We’ll have to wait until he tires out.”

Kurt cringed as Rachel finally entered the loft, having been held up by the ringing of her phone. She rolled the loft door shut with a bang, causing Blaine to tense even more in Kurt’s arms. She stomped over to where they sat, hands in fists on her hips. Santana stood up, facing her with her arms folded in front of her.

“He isn’t fine, by the way. Thanks for asking,” snapped Santana.

“I can see that,” said Rachel defensively, her voice loud enough to make Blaine cringe.

“Ladies, please. No yelling,” warned Kurt, trying to keep his own voice light and quiet.

“The least you could do is apologize for completely forgetting any responsibilities you had in favor of your narcissistic need to make things all about you,” said Santana, ignoring Kurt’s warning and sending a menacing glare in Rachel’s direction.

“For your information, I went to an audition! And I was _fabulous_! And if this kick starts my career, then I’m _not_ sorry! Blaine will be okay tomorrow, but there won’t be another audition!” Rachel’s voice still rose in both pitch and volume.

“If that’s what you think, then you shouldn’t be allowed near him! ‘Oh, let me do whatever I want regardless of the consequences, Blaine will be all better tomorrow!’. That is bull crap, Rachel Berry. Bull _crap_. You should get the hell out of here before I slap you into next week!” Santana yelled.

Rachel stepped back, putting a few feet of distance between her and Santana. Then she looked over to see Kurt glaring at her, his arms around the shaking body of Blaine, who had both hands buried into his messy hair, his forearms pressed tight against his ears to drown out the sounds of their voices. She clenched her jaw and thought about fighting back, but then grabbed her jacket and stormed out of the loft, without another word.

When the only sound left was Blaine’s trembling sobs, Santana seemed to be drawn back to earth. She knelt down in front of Blaine again and made a feeble attempt to pry one of his arms away from his head.

“I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to yell,” she whispered, stroking his arm gently. It made no difference, not that she thought it would. She’d been present for exactly two of his episodes before, and the first had affected her so much that she had went home and cried herself to sleep.

“Santana…” Kurt said softly, like he was going to tell her off for something. He didn’t pursue it any further. “Can you help me get him to bed?”

She nodded and stood. Together, they got Blaine on his feet. His crying had finally slowed down and the tears were drying up, but he was still lost deep in his own mind and moments from collapsing from exhaustion. Once he was laying down, he was fast asleep. Santana left Kurt alone to undress Blaine and tuck him into bed, where he stayed asleep for thirteen hours solid.

……………………………

Rachel came home the next night, entering the loft quietly. She could hear the ringing of the water pipes and Kurt’s voice coming from the bathroom, singing loudly. A familiar head of curly hair could be seen from where Blaine was curled up on the couch. The television was off, but a record player was softly playing the old Elton John album that Blaine loved so much.

The floor creaked under her feet as she walked toward Blaine and startled, he tipped his head back to look at her upside down. He waved at her once, then went back to listening to the album. Rachel went around the couch and sat beside him, perched on the edge of the cushion, her hands behind her back.

“Hi Rachel,” said Blaine quietly, his voice tired and scratchy. He had dark circles around his eyes and his hair was a mess. He was dressed in baggy gray sweatpants and hoodie, a telltale sign that he still wasn’t feeling well.

“Hi sweetie,” she said. “I brought you something.”

She held out a little box that she had been holding behind her back. He unfolded his arms and reached for the box hesitantly. He untied the little string with fumbling fingers, then opened the lid and peeked inside. Instantly, his whole face lit up from his eyes to his smile.

“Cronut!!” he exclaimed, lifting it from the box and taking a huge bite. Happiness sparkled in his eyes as he savored the pastry. Rachel sat in silence and let him enjoy it, trying not to laugh as he shoved the second half into his mouth, smearing cream all over his fingers and mouth.

“So you’re feeling better today?” she asked, once he had swallowed most of his treat.

Blaine nodded once, licking his fingers with loud, wet smacking sounds.

“I’m really, really sorry about yesterday. I had a lot of time to think, and Santana was right. There’s no justification for making you feel the way you did. I shouldn’t have left you alone, and I should have made you feel safe here so you didn’t have to run away. And I should have looked for you when I got home instead of just assuming. I just so, _so_ sorry, Blaine.” She apologized, nearly in tears by the end of it, looking him right in the eyes to show him how sincere she was. 

“It okay,” he said simply. “But I don’t wanna have you stay with me anymore.”

His brutal honestly stung for a minute, but Rachel just nodded, looking away.

“I understand,” she said softly. “I really am sorry. I just hope I can earn your trust back. You’re one of my very best friends.”

“And you are mine,” said Blaine, matter-of-factly. He leaned forward and gave her a sticky cronut kiss on the cheek, then snuggled up to her side. “Listen with me?”

She wrapped her arms around him and nodded, holding him close. Blaine could be too forgiving sometimes, but this time Rachel was thankful for it.


	5. Cooper Brings Home A Girl

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Blaine spends some time with Kurt, and Cooper hopes to get Blaine's stamp of approval on his girlfriend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just wanted to say this before we start: there are no typos in Blaine's dialogue. It's all written the way it is on purpose, to (attempt to) demonstrate Blaine's occasional speech problems due to the brain damage.

Blaine looked up at Kurt with big, curious eyes as he stepped back to survey Blaine’s appearance. Normally, his morning routine included making sure Blaine brushed his teeth, shaved, combed his curls, and wore clean underwear and clothes that matched. Then with a kiss to his boyfriend’s cheek, he’d be off to class. But today was different. Today, Blaine was coming with him.

Santana had begged Kurt to find a way for her to not have to watch Blaine during the day so she could work the day shift and have the night free to expand her own social life. Ever since the month before when they had decided Rachel wouldn’t be taking any more turns watching Blaine, Santana had been watching him almost more than Kurt. Kurt agreed, having been formulating a plan for weeks to find a way to be able to spend more time with Blaine. Separation was good for their relationship, but Blaine often got bored being home and missing Kurt. And besides, it was technically supposed to be Kurt’s job to take care of Blaine. Lately, he had felt like he was slacking.

But today, he was going to make up for it by taking Blaine to school with him. Having already cleared it with his NYADA instructors, Kurt was excited to have Blaine with him all day, and share with him first hand all the hard work that Kurt had been putting in for his classes. And on top of all that, he wanted to show off his beautiful boyfriend to his classmates, which mean Blaine had to look his absolute best.

Blaine was dressed smartly in red pants and a light plaid button down, with a red bowtie around his neck. Kurt had spent nearly half an hour gently taming his wild curls, using more hair gel than he would have liked to get them all to stay slicked back against his head. It made him look put together, like he actually cared how he looked.

“You look perfect,” said Kurt, leaning down to give Blaine a kiss. His boyfriend kissed back eagerly, pushing up against Kurt’s lips and reaching up to cup Kurt’s cheek in his hand, trying to draw him closer. Gently, Kurt nudged Blaine away and smiled. “No, silly. There’s no time for that. We’ve got to go before we miss our train.”

Blaine pouted, then stood from the chair he was sitting in and grabbed a bag off the kitchen table that Kurt had prepared just for him. Inside was everything Blaine could possibly need for a day away from the loft, and Kurt only hoped it was enough. He had tried to plan as best he could for anything that could happen.

“Kurt…” Blaine murmured softly, reaching out to nudge his hand against Kurt’s.

“Hmm?” Kurt caught Blaine’s hand and twined their fingers together. His heart fluttered in his chest at how sweet Blaine looked now, coupled with the feeling of Blaine’s warm, soft palm pressed against his.

“’m scared. What if they don’ like me?” Blaine’s voice was high and soft, childlike in the way it was when he was feeling particularly insecure. Kurt tugged him closer and slipped his free arm around his waist, holding him tight.

“Oh honey, everyone’s gonna love you. You’re such a sweet boy, you just have to remember to stay in the moment and not get lost, okay? And stick by me, so if you ever don’t know what to say or don’t want to talk to someone, I’ll be right there to help,” Kurt promised, giving Blaine another quick kiss, this time pulling away before he could respond.

Blaine’s grip tightened on his hand as he nodded, and Kurt could see the concern in his eyes. School was school to Blaine, whether it was high school or college. And Blaine’s experiences with school included bullying almost to the point of cruelty until Blaine had become friends with Kurt and eventually Santana. People rarely understood Blaine’s condition, and it often led to quick, harsh judgments about him. Blaine had every right to be scared.

All through high school and even a few times since the move to New York, Kurt had heard the things people whispered about Blaine behind his back. Stupid. Idiot. Retard. Freak.

And that was only half of it. Add in the fact that he was gay and that brought on a whole other spectrum of insults, most of which Blaine didn’t even understand. It was the tone of the voice that came with the slurs that cut deep for Blaine, and for all the times Kurt was thankful for Blaine’s ignorance of the words, there was nothing he could do about how people said the things they said.

“Don’t be afraid,” Kurt whispered softly, bringing a hand up to gently touch his fingertips along Blaine’s forehead next to his hairline. “I love you.”

“Love you too,” said Blaine, his eyes fluttering closed at the touch.

“Good. Now come on. We’re really gonna be late if we don’t go now.” Kurt grabbed his own bag and gave Blaine’s hand a tug. Blaine managed to plaster a hesitant smile on his face and he followed Kurt obediently. Today was going to be a good day, Kurt could already tell.

…………………………………

It was turning out to be a lot more stressful than Kurt thought. They made it on the train fine, but by the time they arrived at the school, Blaine seemed to realize that this was the farthest he’d been from the loft since moving in. He got stuck outside the door of the school, staring up in awe of the unfamiliar surroundings. It took Kurt five minutes to get him unlocked and inside, where he stayed glued to Kurt’s side.

Kurt was almost late to his first class, and by the time he arrived there weren’t two seats beside each other. His instructor set aside a chair aside in the back for Blaine, and Kurt was forced to sit in the only other seat available in the room in the front. For the next hour, he obsessively looked behind him, making sure Blaine was okay. Blaine sat there the whole time, fidgeting and looking around, but thankfully staying in his seat.

For the next class, Kurt managed to get there early enough that his instructor allowed them to sit beside each other, but it just happened to be a day where the class was practicing acting exercises. Kurt silently hoped Blaine would just stay sitting and quiet, especially when it was Kurt’s turn. Thankfully things went smoothly, but only because Blaine stayed blissfully confused at what everyone was supposed to be doing.

After his morning classes were over, Kurt had an hour long break. Exhausted already and sort of desperate for a bathroom break, Kurt hurried into the piano room, as he and his peers affectionately called it, and sat Blaine down at a piano bench.

“Stay here, alright? I’ll be back in just a couple minutes and then we can have lunch,” said Kurt. Blaine looked up at him and nodded, smiling. Kurt couldn’t resist dipping down and kissing his forehead softly, then hurrying out of the room and down the hall.

Once he was finished in the bathroom, his phone began to buzz in his pocket. He pulled it out and smiled when he saw his dad’s face light up his screen.

“Hi dad!” he answered cheerfully.

“Hey Kurt, how’d ya know it was me?” his dad asked, chuckling softly like he already knew the answer.

“Caller ID, dad,” laughed Kurt. “So what’s up?”

“Just wanted to hear your voice,” said Burt. “I know you said you had some time off at this hour and you never wanna talk when you’re home busy with Blaine, so I figured I could catch you now.”

“Of course. And I always want to talk to you. Sometimes it’s just…stressful. You never catch me on the good days,” said Kurt. He leaned up against the wall in the quiet hallway, thankful that most people were in class at this hour. From down the hall, he could hear quiet sounds of piano music coming from down the hall.

“Geez, Kurt, are there any good days at all?” asked Burt, sounded a little exasperated.

“Yes, dad. There are plenty of good days. The last two weeks have been pretty good, I’ve just been busy with classes and stuff,” said Kurt defensively.

“So you’re too busy for your old man,” said Burt.

“Of course not. Just stop it and tell me how you are.”

“Well, it’s lonely here without you. I think Carole’s getting tired of me moping around the house.” Burt chuckled.

“It’s okay to miss me, dad. I miss you too. Some days I think it would be so much easier to just move back home and give it all up. But I love it here. And I love having Blaine here with me,” said Kurt, smiling happily. “It’s not always easy, but coming home to him is worth it.”

Burt sighed on the other end of the line and it was awkwardly silent for a few moments before the older man spoke.

“Kurt. I’m a little concerned…don’t you think you’re forcing yourself to grow up too soon? I know you love Blaine, but you deserve someone who can be your equal in a relationship,” Burt told him.

Kurt rolled his eyes. They’d had this discussion hundreds of times before. As much as Kurt tried, he couldn’t get his dad to understand that it didn’t matter to him that he had to take care of Blaine. His boyfriend was precious to him, and sometimes it hurt knowing there was always a little disapproval coming from his dad.

“I’m not having this conversation with you right now, dad. I love you, but I’m not abandoning Blaine. Not now. Not after I’ve already made this commitment to him. I’m in this for the long haul,” Kurt insisted.

“Alright, alright,” said Burt. “I’ve said my part. Now tell me about how you are.”

Kurt sighed and let go of his annoyance, then went into an in depth discussion about everything that had happened in his life since the last time he’d talked to his dad, and before he knew it half an hour had passed. With the insistence he had to go check on Blaine, Kurt told his dad he loved him, then hung up.

He hurried down the hallway, slowing as he approached the room where he had left Blaine. He smiled at the sound of a piano being played, beautiful melodies of songs Kurt had never heard before. The notes strung together seemingly at random, but going together perfectly. Then he heard the murmur of voices, and he hurried into the room, instantly worried that someone was bothering Blaine.

Once inside, he was almost shocked to see a group of over almost two dozen people, surrounding a piano in a half circle. It was the very piano Kurt had sat Blaine down at, and there Blaine was, head down and fingers gliding over the piano keys, stringing together beautiful melodies. His eyes were closed and his face was a blank canvas of emotion, everything pouring out through his fingers. It was beautiful to watch.

Somehow, by some miracle, of all the things Blaine had lost in that accident, he had retained this. Kurt had seen the old home videos of little seven year old Blaine, a piano prodigy performing at recitals and wowing the crowds of parents that where really there to watch their own kids. Now, Blaine couldn’t read sheet music, but he could hear the sounds. Each individual note went through his mind and to his fingertips, which found the notes on the keyboard.

Seeing Blaine like this, playing whatever came to him in the moment, was something Kurt rarely got to do. This was more of an insight into the jumble of Blaine’s mind than any other form of communication could ever be. This was Blaine losing himself, giving up what little control he had, and letting it all sort itself out.

The tempo of Blaine’s music increased, capturing the attention of his little audience. They all silenced and watched in slight alarm and awe as his fingers moved faster, banging out sharp chords and gliding over notes and pairing together notes that under normal circumstances would not sound good together but in this instance they made perfect sense. Kurt held his breath and watched as sweat began to bead on Blaine’s forehead and his shoulders hunched as his hands moved faster, and with one final discordant _bang_ of his fingers against the keys, he stopped.

The room was silent for a moment and Blaine’s body trembled as he kept his head down and tried to catch his breath. Then suddenly, starting with just one person and quickly becoming the whole room, people applauded him. Blaine jumped up, nearly knocking over his bench in alarm at the sound, as though he hadn’t realized they were there before. Kurt hurried over and put an arm around him, letting him know it was okay.

“Honey, it’s okay. Relax,” Kurt murmured, sending a look to his fellow students. They gradually quieted, and some of them left, but a handful stayed.

“He’s incredible,” one person commented. There was a hum of agreement in the leftover group.

“I’ve never heard such heart, such emotion in music before,” said another person.

Blaine shifted uncomfortably under their stares and reached for Kurt’s hand. His cheeks were tinged pink, and whether it was from exhaustion or embarrassment, Kurt wasn’t sure. Blaine rarely played like that, and when he did, it was never meant for an audience.

“Yes, yes he is incredible. Thank you for listening, but he needs to rest now. Playing like that is very emotionally draining,” said Kurt.

It took a few more minutes to get everyone out. They all wanted to know the man behind the musical genius, but Blaine was frozen for words and truly mentally exhausted. Once everyone was gone, the two of them sat back on the piano bench and Blaine leaned against Kurt’s side.

“Why they do that?” Blaine asked softly, muffled against Kurt’s shoulder.

“Because you play the piano beautifully, and people like that,” said Kurt, kissing the top of Blaine’s head softly.

“Didn’t mean to…was just, just waiting and then I hit, played one…” He reached out and tapped a random key with the tip of his index finger, as if to demonstrate, then pulled his hand back to his lap.

“Sometimes I think you actually have a lot to say, but you just don’t know how to say it,” said Kurt, more to himself than to Blaine. When Blaine didn’t reply, Kurt wrapped both arms around him to hug him tight. “What do you say we go get some lunch before the last class of the day? Being a piano prodigy must make you really hungry.”

That seemed to perk Blaine right up, and Kurt took the smile on his face to be a resounding yes.

………………………….

Kurt laughed as Blaine stumbled out of the elevator, clutching onto two bags full of groceries they had picked up on the way home. He insisted on carrying everything to the apartment, and Kurt let him. Blaine was only able to help in so many ways, so Kurt let him carry as much as he could.

“Careful, don’t trip, or you’ll drop everything. We don’t want to bruise the fruit,” said Kurt, chuckling as Blaine hugged the bags closer.

When they got to the door of the loft, he rolled it open and stepped aside to let Blaine through. Expecting the loft to be empty, he let out a yelp of surprise to see a tall, familiar figure standing in the kitchen. Blaine let out a squeak behind him and dropped the shopping bags, ready to flee if necessary. But then he saw who was standing there and he let out a squeal of joy.

“Coop!!” Blaine yelled, jumping over the bags and the fruit that spilled out of them, then ran to the kitchen and launched himself at his older brother, who laughed and wrapped his arms around Blaine’s waist and lifted him off the floor, swinging him around in a full circle before setting him down.

“Geez, Cooper, didn’t anyone tell you it’s not polite to break into people’s apartments?” Kurt crossed his arms in front of him and watched as Cooper looked over Blaine’s shoulder and flashed Kurt his best charming smile.

“Geez, Kurt, didn’t anyone tell you not to keep your spare key in such an obvious place? I mean, taped on top of the door? It’s bad enough it rolls open so easily. Any old person could wander in at any time,” said Cooper, still hugging Blaine, who clung to him.

Kurt glared at him playfully, then smiled.

“As long as any old person is you, I don’t think Blaine would mind,” he said.

Cooper grinned in return, and finally let his little brother go. Except Blaine didn’t want to let go, his face filled with delight at being able to see his brother in person for the first time in almost a year. He clung to Cooper and bounced happily on the balls of his feet. Cooper gave up and just let Blaine stay.

“So, as delighted as we are to see you, what brings you all the way here from the sparkling lights of Hollywood?” asked Kurt as he picked up the fallen groceries and set them on the kitchen table.

“Well…it’s a bit of a long story…”

………………………………….

Cooper Anderson didn’t always love his little brother. In fact, when he first found out he was getting a little brother, he had made his protests known. Cooper was nine years old when Blaine was born, and he had spent a good portion of that nine years living it up as an only child. He got all the attention, all the toys at Christmas, and there was no competition for the favorite son.

His life was rocky in the beginning, though. His parents were young when they had him, his mom had been 15 and his dad 16. So he wasn’t planned, and he knew his parents had a rough time being teen parents in Ohio in the mid 1980’s. It hadn’t been easy for them to finish school and provide for him, and most of his early childhood was spent living in tiny apartments and houses until his dad had finished law school.

Then when his dad was a real lawyer, they got a nice house just outside of Lima, and Cooper got his own room and a big bed and lots of toys. And a year after they had settled into their new, comfortable life, his mom broke the news.

“Cooper, honey, I’m going to have a baby. You’re gonna have a little brother or sister.”

At the time, those had been the worst words Cooper could ever have imagined hearing. And then, it got worse. Cooper knew he had nine months of enjoying being the favorite left before some baby came along, but his time was cut short. Blaine had been born prematurely at twenty-six weeks.

He was such a tiny little thing, barely human shaped with skin almost translucent. For two months his mom had almost lived at the hospital watching over little Blaine inside that plastic prison cell of an incubator, and Cooper had been all but forgotten. He was always a little bitter about it, but by the time Blaine got to come home, he actually found himself just being happy the little guy was okay.

And so they grew up together, and Blaine seemed to be fairly normal as far as annoying little brothers go. He was smart, talented, and physically had no signs that being born prematurely had affected him at all, besides being kind of small for his age. He was a fighter, so everyone said. Cooper usually just rolled his eyes and tried to think of a way to get someone to acknowledge _his_ talent.

So maybe Cooper had always had a little hint of bitterness when it came to Blaine, although the older his brother got, the more it faded away. By the time he was seventeen, he spent a majority of his time teasing the boy, trying to get as much in as he could before he moved out and went off to college.

And then the accident happened. To this very day, Cooper blamed himself. He made Blaine get up out of his seat, he caused the distraction, he made Blaine take off his seatbelt, and it was his fault that Blaine got hurt. The accident was his fault. It was his fault his aunt went to jail and his fault that lady in the other car was killed.

The two months following the accident were pure torture, every day watching Blaine’s tiny eight year old body in that hospital bed, the steady beating of the heart monitor the only indication that he was still alive.

When Blaine finally woke up, things were never the same. Cooper couldn’t just move away, not with things the way they were. He spent his days working a lame ass job at the mall and his nights awkwardly navigating the tense atmosphere of his home life. Blaine’s behavior was unpredictable and often volatile, and the hyper eight year old he was became a hyper eight year old with no control over himself.

But still, Cooper stayed. He stayed because there were days when he would come home and lay down on the couch and Blaine would climb up and lay on him and they’d cuddle for hours, Blaine finding safety and comfort in his brother’s arms. Cooper never let himself dwell on the irony of it, just thankful for Blaine’s presence, warm against him and alive.

As Blaine grew up, their parents encouraged Cooper to move on, but it took years. Around the time Blaine started high school, Cooper decided to move to L.A., finally pursuing his acting dream. But every day he thought of Blaine, of his innocent, damaged little brother whose life would never be normal thanks to Cooper’s stupidity.

In that time, Cooper had brought exactly two girls home to meet his family. The first, a gorgeous model he’d actually thought could have been ‘the one’. Their visit barely lasted half an hour. It had been a bad day for Blaine at school, and he was particularly upset about something Cooper can’t even remember. It had been a joke, she had laughed like it was nothing. But nobody called Blaine retarded in front of Cooper and got away with it. He broke up with her less than ten seconds after the word had slipped from her mouth.

The second girl had made it through dinner, lasting through the pleasant conversation with his parents. Blaine had Kurt this time, who had joined them for dinner. He was quiet and smiley, sending little happy glances over at Kurt every few minutes. They were together, but it was still new to both of them. Cooper had never seen Blaine be so happy.

After dinner, Kurt went home and the rest of them had retreated to the family room, where his parents continued to make conversation with his girlfriend. Cooper was sitting on the couch with Blaine curled up by his side, holding his brother close to try to make up for the time they’d missed. Silence had filled the room for a couple of minutes, and Cooper looked up and smiled at her. Things were going so well, she definitely was the one. He could feel it.

And then his parents excused themselves for a few minutes, and his girlfriend took that opportunity to say the wrong thing.

“What’s wrong with him, anyway? I mean. I get the brain damage but he’s all clingy and gay and stuff.” She made a face at Blaine, who just curled up tighter in a ball.

Cooper slipped away from Blaine and stood up. He calmly told her that there was nothing wrong with _Blaine_ , only with people like her who were ignorant. It had angered her enough to get her to leave, and Cooper found it to be no great loss. At least he still had Blaine.

And now, Cooper had flown all the way to New York for a number of reasons. Because he missed his brother terribly. Because he met a girl, and he knew she really was the one. Because he had an apartment there waiting for him to move into it, if things went as planned.

………………………………….

Cooper and Blaine sat on the couch, slumped down, their feet up on the coffee table, crossed at the ankle, and arms folded over their chests as a rerun of Kitchen Nightmares played on the television. Blaine was leaning slightly to the side, his head resting on Cooper’s shoulder. The volume was low, so they could barely hear what Chef Ramsay was yelling about over the sound of Kurt bustling about in the kitchen.

After a long while, Cooper leaned forward and snatched up the remote, turning off the show. Blaine let out a whine of protest and looked up at him, pouting.

“What’d you do that for?” he asked.

“Because I need to talk to you,” said Cooper. Blaine sat up, his face falling at Cooper’s serious tone.

“Is it bad? Was I bad?” asked Blaine. His big eyes were already filling with tears at the thought of disappointing his brother.

“No, of course not, Blainey. Don’t be sad,” said Cooper, quickly covering his tracks. “You’re the best brother ever, which is why I wanted to talk to you about something very, _very_ important.”

Blaine relaxed a little and nodded, although Cooper could see in his eyes his level of comprehension wasn’t very high. He only hoped he could hold Blaine’s attention for long enough to get this out.

“So. I met this girl. She’s...amazing. Incredible. And I really, _really_ love her. She’s beautiful and funny and smart, and I think she’s the one,” said Cooper.

Blaine nodded and fidgeted in his seat, fingers picking at the hem of his shirt.

“You know how much you love Kurt?” Cooper reached out and touched his knuckle to Blaine’s chin lightly, drawing his attention back to him.

“Yes!” exclaimed Blaine. He halfway jumped out of his seat, just enough to tuck one leg under him and land on it, bouncing on the couch cushion. “I love Kurt! Kurt’s my-he’s my, I love him! He’s my soulmate!”

Cooper chuckled. “Of course he is.”

“Oh! And that, the girl! She’s yours?” Blaine asked.

“Well, I’d like to hope so,” said Cooper. “There’s just one thing before I can be sure.”

“Wha’s that?” asked Blaine.

“Well, she has to meet you. I can’t ask her to marry me unless I know she’s going to be good to you,” Cooper told him. Blaine paused in his bouncing and fidgeting and cocked his head to the side, looking at his brother curiously.

“Why? If she’s your soulmate, then why? You should love her, like I love Kurt,” said Blaine matter-of-factly.

“Because you’re the most important thing to me, Blainey. Remember like I told you? Bros before hos. You’re my brother and how people treat you is very important to me. It’s a hard world out there, and you shouldn’t have to deal with crap in the family,” said Cooper.

Blaine nodded, then gave a little one shoulder shrug and his head twitched to look down at his lap. Cooper smiled and patted Blaine lightly on the back, then gave a light tug to the curls at the base of his neck that had escaped the gel. Letting out a little whine, Blaine batted him away.

“What her name?” asked Blaine.

“Gina. And she’s…she’s very special to me,” said Cooper. Blaine smiled and shifted, looking over his shoulder into the other room where Kurt was busy mixing something in a bowl. Cooper chuckled softly, knowing all too well what Blaine was feeling as he gazed at his boyfriend with heart eyes.

Cooper nudged Blaine to get his attention back, then turned on the television. Blaine curled up against Cooper’s side to cuddle. Wrapping his arm around Blaine’s body, he cuddled him right back.

 _Almost as special to me as you_ , Cooper thought to himself.

…………………………….

Dinner was awkward, to say the least, but Cooper was pleasantly surprised with how it turned out. At six o’clock, Cooper and Gina arrived just as Kurt and Blaine were putting the last of the dishes on the table. It was just the four of them in the loft, and everyone had dressed up for a semi-formal evening. Even Blaine had nice tie and jacket on.

Gina was a gorgeous tall woman with dark skin, a stunning smile, and the body of a dancer. She was the kind of beautiful that drew everyone’s attention the moment she walked into a room. Kindness was engrained in every pore and she radiated warmth and happiness. With her arm tucked around Cooper’s it was clear she was in love.

Kurt and Blaine hurried over to the entryway to greet them, Blaine tucked shyly behind Kurt, grasping his hand tightly. He had been nervous all day for dinner tonight, knowing that his big brother’s happiness was at stake tonight if he didn’t get along with his new girlfriend. It was the kind of real, solid weighing down pressure that Blaine didn’t deal with well.

“Gina, this is Kurt Hummel, my brother’s boyfriend,” Cooper began the introductions right off the bat. “Kurt, this is my wonderful girlfriend, Gina Moretti.”

“Nice to meet you,” said Kurt with a bright smile, shaking the hand that Gina had extended.

“And this,” Cooper paused to grab Blaine’s arm and tug him out in the open, “is my brother Blaine.”

“Hi,” said Blaine, in a quiet squeaky voice. Gina simply smiled as he timidly reached out to shake her hand as well. He kept his gaze lowered to the floor. Blaine had never really been good at meeting new people.

“Hello,” said Gina, her voice soft and sweet, as though she was trying to convey comfort and kindness to him. “Cooper had told me _so_ much about you. He loves you very much.”

Blaine gave a little shrug and a small smile, his eyes darting up to look at Cooper.

“Coop is the best,” said Blaine. “He always take, he care for me. When I need, and before Kurt. He’s the best.”

Cooper beamed and drew a light laugh from Gina, who playfully shoved at the arm that had tried to snake its way around her waist.

“Yes well don’t tell him that too much, sweetie. It will go right to his head and make it so big it explodes,” Gina said to Blaine. Instantly Blaine’s eyes grew wide and he gaped at her, as if the thought of his brother’s head literally exploding crossed his mind. Gina seemed to sense this and quickly backtracked. “Oh, no, I didn’t mean for real. I just meant he has quite the ego and too many compliments will go to his head and I’m just confusing him now aren’t I?”

She cast a worried glance at Cooper at the clueless look Blaine was now giving her. Cooper only laughed in return.

“Don’t worry about it. He doesn’t understand metaphors and big words. He’ll forget about it as soon as we’re on to the next thing,” said Cooper.

“Speaking of the next thing,” Kurt chimed in. “Why don’t we all sit down to eat?”

They all agreed and soon the four of them were sitting at the table, filling their plates and chatting easily about the usual get-to-know-you things. Blaine was quiet for the most part, hungry after a day of constant mild anxiety and happy for the indulgence of a little extra carbs in the form of mashed potatoes with the big dinner Kurt had prepared. He shrugged and half grunted answers to questions, drawing several eye rolls from Kurt.

“So where are you from?” Kurt asked Gina, as they neared the end of their meal.

“I was born and raised in Georgia, but then I came here to New York for college. But I was working on a small acting job in L.A. when I met Cooper,” replied Gina.

“You still live here?”

“Yes I do. I’ve been flying out on weekends though to spend time with Coop, but this time he decided to come here for a couple weeks.”

“Actually,” said Cooper. “I’m thinking about moving here.”

Blaine perked up instantly at hearing that.

“Coop live here?” he asked, hopefully. “Forever?”

“Well, I hope so, buddy. I mean, not _here_ here, but in the city. Someplace close where I can see you in person every week instead of over Skype,” said Cooper.

Blaine gasped and grinned happily, nearly jumping out of his seat from the sudden burst of excitement this news gave him. Kurt grabbed his arm and tugged him back into his chair, holding it to keep him still.

“Why this sudden urge to move across the country?” asked Kurt.

“Well. Um.” Cooper looked at Gina. “Maybe you want to explain it?”

She nodded and cleared her throat lightly, a little nervous. “I guess you guys are probably gonna find out anyway, but I’m a trans woman. And I’m still working on my transition. In a few weeks I’ll be having my surgery. And Cooper offered to move here so that he could be with me during it all.”

Kurt nearly had to push his jaw closed upon hearing this. Knowing Cooper, he wasn’t entirely surprised, but he was definitely impressed. Cooper had always been an open minded guy, but Kurt had no idea how much so. It was refreshing to see the two of them in what seemed to be a healthy, normal relationship.

“I don’t think that’s going to be a problem. Blaine seems to like you,” said Kurt, looking over at his boyfriend, who was staring at Gina with a curious expression.

“Surgery?” asked Blaine suddenly, looking very concerned. “Why you need surgery? You don’t look sick!”

There was silence for a moment, and Gina opened her mouth to explain, but Cooper silenced her with a hand on her arm, as if to say _I speak Blaine, I’ll take this one_.

“She’s not sick. Sometimes she’s just unhappy and the best way to fix that is this surgery. When she’s all done with it, she’ll be happy with herself and her life,” explained Cooper. Keeping it short and sweet and uncomplicated was best, knowing that it everything about the situation could be difficult for even someone without brain damage to understand.

Blaine cocked his head slightly, then smiled and nodded.

“Okay! She should be happy. That’s good,” said Blaine with a smile.

Gina smiled and Cooper reached over to take her hand.

“Coop should be happy too,” said Blaine. “And you make Coop happy so he should stay with you and he should, he should move to, move here so he can be happy and he can, I can see him all the time!”

“Calm down, honey.” Kurt laughed and put a hand on Blaine’s shoulder, keeping him sitting in the chair.

Blaine smiled happily for the rest of the night, and Cooper kept a constant eye on how Blaine and Gina interacted. She was good with him, allowing him into her personal space as though she knew Blaine had no sense of boundaries. She gave him time to think and speak when he got blocked up, and knew when and when not to push as though she had been caring for Blaine her whole life. It could not have been more perfect as far as Cooper was concerned. The two people he loved most were getting along perfectly.

………………………………..

Later that night, when he knew Blaine was between his bath and going to bed, Cooper called Blaine from the living room of Gina’s apartment while Gina was in the shower. It took a few minutes for the call to be answered and Cooper could imagine Blaine searching for his rarely used phone and making Kurt make it stop ringing, and then hurriedly pressing the phone to his ear upon realizing it was Cooper.

“Hi,” said Blaine, sounding very sleepy.

“Hey Blainey, it’s Coop.”

“Hi Coopy,” said Blaine through a yawn.

“I know you’re tired, buddy, but I wanted to ask you something,” said Cooper.

Blaine answered with a hum.

“How did you feel about Gina?”

“I like her. She was nice. Pretty. And she, she make you happy. I like you happy. You should keep her,” said Blaine.

Cooper laughed. “Well, I’ll have her as long as she’ll have me. She really enjoyed spending time with you, too. That was really important to me, to have you guys get along.”

“We did. Can I go? Kurt says bed now and I wanna cuddle.”

“Yeah, yeah. Just one more thing, okay?” Cooper asked. Blaine hummed again. “What would you say if I asked Gina to marry me?”

The line was silent for a moment before Blaine gasped and let out a little squeal. In the background, Cooper could hear Kurt’s concerned voice in the background.

“Do it do it do it do it!!” exclaimed Blaine. “Cooper gonna get married!”

“Not yet, buddy, I gotta ask her first!” laughed Cooper. “You gotta keep this a secret now, okay? You can’t tell _anyone_ , except Kurt. But he can’t tell anyone either.”

“Okay Coop! I promise! Coopy getting married!”

After that, Blaine seemed to forget he was tired for a while, and they talked a little bit more until he yawned and remembered oh yeah, time for bed. They said goodbye and hung up, and Cooper smiled to himself. Buried deep inside his suitcase was a small ring box, he had come prepared. As well as this trip was going, he only hoped it could get better.

………………………………..

It was a couple hours after Blaine had gone to sleep, his body a dead weight on Kurt’s right side. He was a little too warm against Kurt under the covers, but Kurt didn’t have the heart to push him off. Unable to sleep, Kurt just gently rubbed his hand up and down Blaine’s tank top covered back and stared down at his peaceful face in the light of full moon streaming into their room.

Blaine had done so well with Cooper’s girlfriend, and then when Cooper revealed he was planning to propose, Blaine had hardly been able to contain his excitement. They laid in bed talking about Cooper and how Blaine had always wanted him to be happy because sometimes when he thought Blaine wasn’t looking, he looked so _sad_.

Kurt knew why. Kurt knew how Cooper blamed himself for the accident and how Cooper had reservations about letting himself love anyone because loving him meant loving Blaine. Bringing someone into their family was no small feat, and it was a lifelong commitment.

Leaning down slightly to kiss the top of Blaine’s head, he let his mind drift to the real thing that had been keeping him up all night. Marriage. Kurt wasn’t going to lie, he wanted it. He wanted it bad. Someday, he wanted to call Blaine his husband and he wanted to have a family. He wanted a ring on his finger and a neatly framed marriage license and he wanted to be walked down the aisle by his dad and say “I do”.

But they were still young and Blaine didn’t even realize getting married to Kurt was an option. Maybe someday they would get there, but for now Kurt was just thankful for having Blaine at all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading, this was a tough one to write, but it needed to be done for reasons. Gina will be an important part of Blaine's life in the future, but a very minor character in the story. I tried many times to figure out how to write Blaine's lack of understand about what it means to be trans*, but it's a difficult subject so I ended up with this. Thanks to all.


	6. Blaine Gets a Job

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rachel feeds Blaine a few too many cronuts, and Blaine's boredom at home leads to him getting his very first job.

_September 14, 2014_

Kurt’s phone vibrated in his hand, startling him. He looked at the screen and let out a relieved sigh seeing Elliott’s face smiling back at him. The last thing he needed right now was Santana getting on him for one thing or another, or Blaine being disappointed about something Kurt failed to do again. He answered the call as he hurriedly hopped aboard the subway just as the doors closed. Thank god he hadn’t missed the train.

“Hey.” He was slightly out of breath.

" _Hey you. Everything okay? You didn’t text me back about band practice_ ,” said Elliott.

“Damn, I forgot. I’m sorry, I can’t do practice today. I’m on my way home and I promised Blaine I wouldn’t be late,” said Kurt.

“ _Aw, come on. You need to loosen up a little, Kurt. Blaine will still be there no matter when you get home. You, on the other hand, might die if you don’t make a little time for you and your band_ ,” teased Elliott, chuckling softly.

“I know, I know. But I really promised him today. He spends all day stuck inside waiting for me, I can’t just disappoint him,” said Kurt. He had disappointed Blaine before, and those big, sad eyes looking at him like he had actually done something terrible were enough to make him never want to do it again.

“ _Alright, but you have to promise me that you’ll make time for us next week_ ,” said Elliott.

Kurt agreed and picked a day he knew Santana had the evening off, then hung up and closed his eyes, smiling softly too himself. Tonight he and Blaine had the loft to themselves, and he was definitely planning on it being special. Earlier that morning, he had whispered a promise into Blaine’s ear before he left, and it was one he definitely did not intend to break. He had no doubt Blaine was hardly able to sit still with anticipation for what was to come. Kurt felt a familiar stirring in his belly at the thought of it. 

He got off the train at his stop and walked the rest of the way home, a cheerful spring in his step as he approached the building. He paused to look up, to nearly the top floor, finding the window from their loft. Smiling, he saw Blaine’s face, looking down on him. He waved up at him, then hurried inside. The elevator wasn’t nearly moving fast enough, and by the time the door opened and he stepped out, he was met with an enthusiastic Blaine who collided with him and wrapped him up in a tight hug.

A second later, Santana came running out, looking half put together and lip stick in her hand. She looked equally furious and scared for a moment, then her expression faded into relief when she saw Blaine at the end of the hall, hugging Kurt tight. 

“Jesus, he scared the crap out of me. He just ran out the door,” complained Santana, who glared at them until Kurt was able to extract himself from Blaine’s grasp.

“I saw, in the window, Kurt coming!” Blaine was nearly hopping from foot to foot in excitement, hugging Kurt’s arm tight.

Santana rolled her eyes and muttered under her breath as she went back inside. Kurt chuckled and rubbed Blaine’s forearm gently before following Santana. 

“I been, I was, I wait all day!” said Blaine, sliding his hands down to grasp Kurt’s and turning his head to kiss Kurt’s shoulder, the closest body part he could reach. 

“I know, I hurried home as fast as I could,” said Kurt, pausing to close the door behind him. He turned around to look at Blaine, whose hands were now clasped in front of him as he looked at Kurt eagerly. He laughed and put his bag down. “You look excited about something.”

“You, you said, this morning, you said…” Blaine could hardly stand still he was radiating excitement. Kurt could see the way his eyes were wide and dark, and he knew there was only one thing on his mind.

“I know what I said,” said Kurt, stepping forward and kissing him lightly on the lips. “But we have to wait until Santana leaves.”

Blaine whined and tried to pull Kurt closer.

“Not yet,” said Kurt, nudging him away and grasping his hand. 

It was always a little dangerous to play with Blaine’s hormones as he had earlier that morning. It wasn’t that Blaine couldn’t control himself, it was just difficult for him to understand why he had to wait if Kurt clearly wanted it too.

“Are you hungry? Do you want a snack?” asked Kurt. Blaine shook his head.

“No. Rachel made me a snack before. Earlier. I’m full,” replied Blaine. He squeezed Kurt’s hand and tried to tug him closer. 

At last, Santana emerged from the bathroom looking all put together. She strode over to them and gave Blaine a kiss on the cheek, then looked at Kurt.

“For the love of all that is holy, please have sex with him now. He’s had a boner since this morning,” she said. Kurt’s eyes widened and he sputtered as Santana gathered her things and hurried out of the loft. “I’m off to work, have fun tonight, boys!”

“She gone, Kurt. She gone now!” Blaine tugged on his hand again and Kurt finally gave in, letting himself be pulled a step closer to Blaine, facing him. Blaine leaned up and lightly brushed his lips against Kurt’s, his eyes fluttering closed.

“I’m sorry I made you wait all day,” whispered Kurt before pressing their lips together harder. Blaine kissed back enthusiastically, his lips parting and his tongue brushing Kurt’s bottom lip. Kurt wrapped his arms around Blaine’s shoulders, on hand sliding into Blaine’s curls and tugging them lightly, the way that always made Blaine moan.

They kissed deeply as they inched their way to the bedroom, stumbling slightly before toppling onto the bed. Blaine eagerly climbed on top of Kurt, fingers fumbling with the buttons of his shirt. Kurt gasped as Blaine’s lips traveled along his jaw to his neck, sucking little wet spots all over his skin down to his collarbone. His own hands grabbed at Blaine’s polo, pulling it up to his shoulders, then sliding his hands down the hot, bare skin of Blaine’s back.

Blaine kissed every bit of bare skin on Kurt’s chest he could find before he was blocked by the thin material of Kurt’s undershirt, drawing a little frustrated whine from the back of his throat. Kurt chuckled softly and pulled Blaine’s shirt off the rest of the way before flipping them over so he was straddling Blaine’s hips. He sat back on his thighs, avoiding putting any pressure on the noticeable bulge between his legs, then pulled his undershirt off.

He looked down at Blaine, who simply stared up at him with a dark, lustful expression. Blaine stayed still, waiting for Kurt to make the next move. Determined to take things slow and really enjoy sex for the first time in a long time, he let his eyes roam over Blaine’s body, admiring the smooth, muscled plains of his…

Or not.

Kurt frowned as he looked at Blaine’s body, _really_ looked for the first time in a while. He saw Blaine shirtless every day, but he was either too tired to notice anything or trying not to let himself stare too much. 

Blaine was always beautiful, but today Blaine was…well. The only thing Kurt could think of to describe it was chubby. The light outline of ab muscles was replaced by the slight bulge of his tummy. Not that there was anything _wrong_ with that, Blaine was gorgeous no matter if he was slightly bulgy or had a six pack. But _how_? 

“What wrong?” Blaine whimpered softly, the darkness in his eyes starting to be replaced by innocent confusion about why Kurt stopped.

“Honey…” Kurt began softly. He rested his hand lightly on Blaine’s tummy. “You’ve gained a little weight. Have you been eating something you’re not supposed to?”

Blaine blinked and blushed a little, then turned his head away. He wiggled beneath Kurt until Kurt finally moved off of him, then pulled his legs up to his chest, hugging them tight. 

“Hey, you’re not in trouble. I just need you to be honest.” Kurt moved to sit in front of Blaine and tried to pry his arms away from his legs. Blaine whined and buried his face in his knees. “If you tell me, we can get back to what we were doing and I’ll forget all about it.”

Blaine lifted his head a little and blinked, chewing on his bottom lip softly.

“Blaine…” Kurt reached out and brushed his fingertips over Blaine’s forehead, smiling as he leaned into the touch.

“Rachel…” whispered Blaine. “She been, she gave, she gave me the cronuts.”

Kurt raised an eyebrow and allowed him to continue.

“When she sorry, she mess up, she sorry she bring me cronuts,” said Blaine with a little shrug of his bare shoulders. “She sorry a lot.” 

“Of course she is,” sighed Kurt. He tipped Blaine’s chin up and kissed him softly. “I just had to know. It’s my job to watch things like this. To make sure your body is taken care of.”

Blaine nodded and unfolded himself, leaning up to press his lips against Kurt’s neck. 

“Love you,” he murmured against Kurt’s skin. 

“I love you too,” said Kurt, pushing him gently back to lay down, then sliding his hands down Blaine’s body to the waistband of his pants. “You still wanna?”

Instantly Blaine’s eyes darkened once more and he nodded quickly. Chuckling softly, Kurt flicked open Blaine’s pants and dropped a soft kiss to Blaine’s tummy. Blaine lifted his hips slightly and let out a soft moan, and Kurt took the opportunity to push his pants and underwear down in one go.

They had all night to themselves, and Kurt intended to make the most of it.

……………………………

_October 17, 2003_

_Doctor Williams sat across from Jack and Viv with a stack of papers in front of him. He was a balding man in his late fifties, with a kind face and sparkling eyes. He had come to see the people before him as almost family over the last few months. Ever since Blaine had been admitted, the neurologist had been fascinated with the case. Waiting for him to wake up had been nearly as excruciating for him as it had been for the family._

_Then it had taken weeks to find the extent of the damage, between surgeries to heal his injuries and constant scans and tests, the boy was nearly at his limit. His impatient, confused screams echoed the hospital halls, and Dr. Williams began to wonder if there was really any hope at all. But he couldn’t give up on his littlest patient._

_At last, Blaine had been diagnosed with diffuse brain trauma to the frontal lobe. The consequences of the injury were many: reduced thinking speed, confusion, reduced attention and concentration, fatigue, and impaired cognitive skills in all areas. All of those things were evident almost immediately, and it was unclear just how long the symptoms would last. The boy was unwell, not the bright, vibrant child his parents described he once was. The last few weeks had been spent trying to coax words out of his mouth and helping him relearn how to use the bathroom. This was the unpleasant part of his job._

_But these two parents, who loved their child more than they loved anything else, were willing to take on the immense challenge of becoming his full time caregivers, in the chance he might recover enough to have a normal life. Dr. Williams applauded their ambitions, even if he thought them a little foolish. The rambunctious eight year old was more than a challenge for all to handle, his behavior unpredictable and often ending in volatile screaming fits that had the whole hospital wing cringing. His pain was constant and severe, from his healing body to his injured brain, there was no doubt his behavior was at least in part due to the agonizing headaches that terrorized him. There was only so much drugs could do._

_He was getting better, though. After his last surgery, he had been headache free for most of the last two weeks. He was starting to express his wants and desires verbally, and was slowly becoming aware of his surroundings. He knew his own name and the names of his family members, but remembering Dr. Williams’ name was always a little tough. The doctor suspected it was due to meeting him after the trauma had occurred. Blaine had managed to successfully communicate his need to go to the bathroom and actually use the toilet four times now without an accident, which was considerable progress, and he was beginning to eat solid foods with enthusiasm. Things were definitely looking up._

_“I feel confident sending him home with you,” said Dr. Williams to the two parents sitting across from him. “His level of improvement is consistently going up, and the change to a more familiar environment may do him some good.”_

_“Thank you, Doctor. You have no idea how much this means to us, to finally be able to bring our boy home,” said Viv, nearly in tears. Dr. Williams offered her a box of tissues and she took one, delicately dabbing the corners of her eyes._

_“The struggle is far from over, I must warn you. He could continue to improve until his health is restored, but you must also prepare yourself for the possibility that his cognitive improvement flat lines, and that there is permanent damage for the rest of his life. The brain is a tricky organ, and there’s not much we can do to predict the outcome of his injuries. At the risk of sounding like an old cliché, in this instance only time will tell.”_

_Viv looked down, at where she clutched her husband’s hand tight in her free one, trying to draw more comfort from him. Jack looked tired, like he hadn’t slept in months. He probably hadn’t. When it became clear that Viv was still processing all his words, Jack spoke up._

_“Is there anything we should know? About taking care of him?”_

_“I’m going to prescribe some potent pain medication, for emergencies, along with a few vitamin supplements. And then I’m going to have you see a nutritionist to give you some ideas of the types of foods that will help to heal his brain and keep his body healthy. I suggest you keep him on a regular schedule and try to figure out what works for him and your family,” said the doctor._

_“When will he get to come home? Today?” asked Viv, looking up hopefully._

_“I’ll get you in with the nutritionist today and get you all set to go, and then you should be able to take him home.”_

_He smiled at the couple before him at the excited looks on their faces. He admired how happy they were despite the challenges ahead. They were just grateful they no longer had to spend most of their days in the hospital. As much as Dr. Williams would miss the boy as a constant part of his life, he only hoped that he would see him less and less as time went on._

_………………………………….._

_After a long day of visiting the doctors, a nutritionist, and a lecture about medication from another doctor and a pharmacist, the Anderson family at last got to go home for good. Blaine’s first steps out of the hospital were met with wide eyes and wonder as he looked around, stumbling after Viv as he clutched onto her hand tight. When they came up to the car, he froze, as though some part of him was saying_ I can’t ride in that, cars are what hurt me. _But with minor coaxing, Viv got him buckled into his car seat and she sat beside him, holding his little hand all the way home._

_When they arrived at their home and got Blaine out of the car, he instantly wanted to explore everything. He went running into the front yard to try to explore the garden, but halfway there he tripped and fell forward onto his knees. Instantly he began crying, and Viv hurried over to help him up. She hoisted him up in her arms, thankful that he was small for his age, and carried him inside._

_“Remember where we are, Blainey?” she asked him, setting him down on his own feet and kneeling down to his height so she could gently wipe his wet cheeks._

_“Home,” he said. “We home. I miss home.”_

_“I know, honey. But you’re here now. Do you want to go up to your room and nap for a bit before dinner? You must be tired.” She tried to look into his eyes, but he avoided her gaze, his eyes rapidly darting every which way. He shrugged in response and brought up a hand to rub his eye with his palm. Viv gently nudged it away. “Don’t do that, honey. Come on. Mama will take you upstairs.”_

_She began to pick him up again, but he let out a high pitched squeal and pushed her away. He held both hands up in front of his face, like some kind of defense mechanism. She sighed and didn’t try to push the matter._

_“Alright, why don't you just take my hand and we can walk together?” Viv stood and offered him her hand, which he hesitantly accepted. Together they walked to the stairs and ascended them slowly one at a time. Two doors down the hallway was Blaine’s room, which had been untouched since his accident except when Viv cleaned it prior to bringing him home._

_“It my room!” said Blaine excitedly. He bounced through the door and his eyes were suddenly little up with happiness. He ran his hand along the spines of dozens of children’s books on his bookshelf, then picked up and looked at several robot toys on his desk. Dropping them back onto the surface of the desk, breaking one of them in the process, he bounded over to his bed and jumped onto it, giggling as he clutched his pillow. “Mine!”_

_“Yes, yours,” laughed Viv, snapping the broken robot pieces back together as best she could and cleaned up in the wake of Blaine’s mini destruction. She stepped over to his bed and sat on the edge of it, watching as he settled down comfortably on top of the freshly washed blankets. He yawned and looked up at her._

_“I home now,” he said._

_“Yes you are. And I am so happy to have you back,” said Viv. She ran her hand lightly over his hair, which was short and prickly from where it was just growing back. A pang of sadness mixed with pain hit her as her fingers brushed the bump of the still healing incision from his last surgery on the back of his head._

_“Cuddles?” asked Blaine, looking up at her hopefully. Viv still had to cook dinner for her family, trying to find something that could work with Blaine’s new list of dietary needs, but it could wait. When he was looking up at her with those eyes, she couldn’t resist. Laying down on the bed on her side, she held open her arms and smiled as Blaine curled up close to her. She hugged him tight and it only took a few minutes before the exhaustion of the day dragged him into the world of sleep._

_…………………………......_

_Cooper looked at the plate in front of him, raising an eyebrow. He poked his fork at the steamed cauliflower and nudged it around, then he glanced across the table to see Blaine, holding the vegetable by his thumb and forefinger, dangling it above his mouth before dropping it in. He chewed for a minute, then made a face and stuck his tongue out, the half chewed cauliflower still on it._

_“Blaine, don’t do that, honey,” said Viv. Blaine didn’t seem to hear her right away, but he eventually closed his mouth and ate it._

_“Why do we have to eat this stuff too?” asked Cooper._

_“Because I’m not making special meals for anyone. Blaine can’t make his own decisions about the right foods to eat, so we have to do it for him. Starting tomorrow this house will no longer contain any foods that are of the junk variety, and we will all set a good example,” said Viv, earning groans of displeasure from both Jack and Cooper._

_“Fish!” said Blaine, poking at the fresh fish fillet with his fork, which he gripped tightly in a fist._

_“Come on Viv, that’s just cruel,” said Jack. “How are we supposed to survive on this?”_

_“The same way Blaine is expected to survive on it. And besides, it’s supposed to be healthy for your brain. Maybe it’ll actually make the two of you smart.” Viv smirked as the two of them were speechless. The silence was broken when suddenly a piece of fish went flying across the table and landed right smack in the middle of Jack’s forehead._

_“What the…?”_

_“Blaine, no! We don’t throw our food!” Viv snatched the fork out of his hand, not even realizing she had raised her voice until she saw terrified look on his face. He let out a yelp and launched himself off his chair, dashing into the other room as fast as he could. Viv took a deep breath and set the fork down._

_“Viv…” Jack said softly, reaching for her hand. She pulled it back quickly._

_“I have to go get Blaine.” She put the napkin from her lap onto the table and stood. Before she left the room to go look for the boy, she paused and looked back at the two men still at the table. “Cooper. Eat your damn vegetables.”_

…………………………….

“Rachel Berry!” Kurt’s voice made the girl freeze where she stood, pouring herself a glass of orange juice. She slowly set down the carton and turned to face Kurt, a hesitant smile on her face.

“Kurt Hummel…?” She watched him wearily as he crossed the kitchen and went to the refrigerator, pulling off a piece of paper so forcefully the magnet holding it on went flying. 

“What is this?” Kurt thrust the paper in her face. 

She leaned back slightly and reached up to take it, holding it at a distance she could actually see. 

“Um. Blaine’s list of acceptable foods?” She bit her lip and chanced a glance up at him, wincing at how angry he looked.

“And why does Blaine have a list of acceptable foods?” Kurt asked through gritted teeth.

“Because he’s on a special diet to keep him and his brain healthy?” Rachel offered, still glancing between Kurt and the list.

“And is there anything on that list about feeding him cronuts _every day_?” questioned Kurt, trying to keep from raising his voice, knowing Blaine was in the other room and hated when he heard people yelling.

“Um.” Rachel bit her lip and glanced down at the paper. “It…doesn’t?”

“Then why have you been doing it?” Kurt snatched the paper out of her hand and shoved it in her face again. “He is on this diet for a reason! Why would you give him things that are bad for him? You’re supposed to be caring for him!”

“Because I like to see him smile!” Rachel raised her voice, then shoved Kurt’s arm away and looked over her shoulder to the other room to see if she had disturbed Blaine. Lowering her voice, she snapped, “You’re busy every day and he just sits around the apartment doing nothing! And I feel sorry for him so I bring him cronuts because they make him happy.”

“Well you’re not doing him any favors, you’re just making him gain weight.” Kurt crossed his arms over his chest and glared at her.

“So what? Santana lets him get donuts at the bakery all the time!”

“Once a week, maybe. Not every day! And that’s going to stop now, too. Do you understand why this is so serious? He is sick, Rachel. He may not look like it, but he has a real condition with real things wrong, and nutrition is important for his health. I pre-make his meals for a reason. So that if I’m not here, he still eats what he’s supposed to.”

“You know what else is important for his health? Being _happy_. And getting out of the house once in a while. And being around people. You don’t see it because he’s happy around you, but you’re gone at work or at school or practicing with you band and his happiness is gone. He has nothing to distract him! At least in Lima he left the house every day to go to school. Now he’s lucky if we take him out once or twice a week. It’s depressing, and I think he’s depressed. He needs something to do, Kurt. We’ve been living here for a year and it’s not new to him anymore. You can’t honestly expect him to spend the rest of his life waiting for you to come home every day.”

Kurt was stunned for a moment as her words sunk in. She was right. It wasn’t realistic for him to expect that of Blaine, but a part of him kind of had. They had settled into this routine of life together and Kurt had been okay with it. Spend his days keeping busy then come home to Blaine, who was always patiently waiting for him. Knowing he was always there, always waiting, always wanting Kurt, had been such a comfort. But Rachel had a point.

Kurt was treating Blaine less like his boyfriend and more like a house pet. 

_A person with a brain injury is a person first._

How could he have forgotten the most important rule? He had blinders on, thinking he could do no wrong as long as that smile was on Blaine’s face when he came home. He never really considered what happened to Blaine the rest of the time…

“You’re right,” admitted Kurt. “He needs something more in his life. But don’t think you’re off the hook just yet. We need to find ways of making him happy that don’t involve an afternoon sugar high.”

“Fine. I won’t feed him anymore cronuts. But you have to step up and be responsible for him,” said Rachel. She glared up at him, as if daring him to challenge her. Kurt stared her down until she turned back to what she had been doing, then he set the paper on the counter and went into the other room to find Blaine.

He was sitting at his desk in the corner of the loft, the lamp on and shining a bright light on the papers he was staring at. He held a pencil in his hand, his grip tighter than it needed to be, and his forehead was furrowed in concentration as he read the passage on the page, following along each word with the index finger of his other hand. Kurt walked over to him silently, making him jump as he placed a hand on his shoulder.

“Hey, it’s just me,” whispered Kurt. He leaned down to press a kiss to the top of Blaine’s head. “Whatcha working on?”

“Reading,” said Blaine, pointing to the workbook in front of him. He was making slow progress on his workbooks, but he was improving. While some of Blaine’s doctors had always doubted that Blaine could ever reach the level of intellect of a normal person, Kurt had hope. 

“Wanna read out loud for me a little?” Kurt leaned over and rested his chin on Blaine’s shoulder, one arm draped over his shoulder so that his hand rested warm and heavy on Blaine’s chest. 

Blaine shrugged in reply and looked down at where his finger was still paused under the word he had last read, then began to read slowly.

“Uh. It pass-ses through the, the atmo-atmos-p…”

“Atmosphere,” whispered Kurt, right into Blaine’s ear. Blaine shuddered from his warm breath, but continued reading determinedly. 

“Gases, dust, ice cries. Cries-tals? Crystals! Ice crystals and, and water drop. Droplets. Split it into the vari-various colors, bouncing some to-toward our eyes and, and ab-abs-absorbing others.” 

“Good job, honey.” Kurt kissed the shell of Blaine’s ear softly before standing up. “You’re getting better. You just keep practicing and you’ll get there.” 

Blaine smiled up at him, but Kurt could see the frustration in his eyes. Somewhere deep inside his brain were memories of being able to read and comprehend this stuff as a kid, and now he just could not get his brain to understand it without hours and hours of trying. Kurt gave his shoulder an encouraging rub.

Some days, it was Blaine’s own brain that was more of a prison to him than anything external could ever be, and Kurt wondered if he would ever be able to escape and be free.

………………………..

“I don’t know what to do,” confessed Kurt as he flipped through sheet music, looking for something new for the band. “I have to find something for Blaine to do during the day, but I don’t even know where to start. I’ve suggested volunteering, taking some classes, even coming to class with me every day. Nothing really seems to fit.”

“Well,” said Elliott from beside him. “Have you considered getting him a job?”

Kurt paused in his search and looked up at him. “Are you crazy? It’s hard enough for someone with a college degree to get a job. Who is gonna hire a brain damaged high school dropout who has spontaneous emotional outbursts and can barely read?”

“Geez, Kurt, nice to know you have faith in the guy.” Elliott chuckled and began flipping through a different bin of sheet music.

“I do! I love Blaine and I believe he could do anything, I just don’t believe other people are willing to give him a chance,” said Kurt.

“My cousin might,” said Elliott. “I told him about Blaine. He owns the organic market on your block. He might be able to hire him, for a few hours a week. Just to get Blaine out of the house.”

“Are you serious?” Kurt raised both eyebrows, surprised. Elliott smiled and nodded. “You think your cousin would actually hire Blaine? Like. My Blaine. To work at his store?”

Elliott laughed and nodded again. “Totally! The store is doing great and he wouldn’t mind taking on another employee just to help around. Just tell him I sent you and I’m sure you could work something out. It would be perfect to give him something to do a few days a week.”

Kurt hummed to himself, thinking about what Elliott had suggested. Could Blaine really handle a job? Even one with minimal responsibilities? He thought about back home in Lima, how the grocery store had hired a mentally challenged man to greet people, and how he had always felt sorry for the guy. People were often rude and made passing, unnecessary comments. He didn’t want Blaine to have to deal with that.

But what would Blaine want? The only thing Blaine ever wanted in his life was to feel normal, to be treated like a normal person. Normal people had jobs. Maybe Blaine would take this opportunity and grow from it, become a stronger person because of it. Kurt had to do this for him, give him a chance to learn and grow and not be locked up inside never exploring what he could become.

“Whoa, man, you okay?” Elliott’s voice pulled him out of his thoughts, and he looked up and offered a small smile.

“Yeah. Fine. Just thinking about Blaine. It’s just hard sometimes. I want to do right by him, but I want to protect him too,” said Kurt. 

“Don’t think so hard about it. Blaine is a person, he knows what he can handle. Just ask him if he wants a job. He’s probably more ready for it than you give him credit,” Elliott told him. Kurt nodded in agreement, and Elliott put a hand on the back of his shoulder, rubbing gently. “Now come on. Stop thinking about your boyfriend for a few minutes and pick out some sheet music with me.”

Kurt smiled and shrugged his shoulder a little, then tried to clear his mind of Blaine long enough to focus on his band.

……………………………

He left Elliott earlier than he planned that afternoon, intent on stopping at the market just down the street from their building. It was the same store that they did most of their grocery shopping at, and Blaine was familiar with it by now. If everything worked out, it would be the perfect place for Blaine to work.

Kurt entered the store and found someone with the store’s green vest uniform on and asked to see the manager. They took him to the back office where he waited outside for ten minutes before he was let inside by a guy who looked like he could be Elliott’s cousin. They had very similar features, although he looked less like a rockstar and more like a business man. 

“Please, sit down,” the man said. “My name is Derrick, what can I do for you?”

“I’m Kurt Hummel, and I’m a friend of Elliott’s,” said Kurt. Instantly the man smiled and nodded, as though he had been expecting Kurt to stop by. 

“Of course, my cousin’s told me about you and your friend.”

“Boyfriend, actually.”

“Right. Boyfriend. Well. What can I do for you, Kurt?” Derrick leaned back in his chair and wiggled it from side to side, waiting patiently to hear was Kurt had to say. 

“Well, Elliott said you might be willing to give Blaine a job. I just wanted to see if it was really true. Blaine’s been so bored being cooped up in the house all day, and my friends are being so good about helping me take care of him but I know they want to have lives too. And he has a pretty bad brain injury and his likelihood of ever getting to be normal is minimal, but it would mean so much to him to be given the opportunity to grow and be trusted with responsibilities. Even minor ones. It would really mean a lot to everyone if you would really be willing to give him this opportunity.” Kurt knew he was rambling a bit long, but he wanted the man to say yes but he also wanted him to know what he was getting into if he did.

Derrick seemed to consider him for a moment, then sat up in his chair and leaned forward, his arms folded on top of his desk.

“Alright. Considering there’s probably some law that says if I say no you can sue me for not hiring someone with a disability, I’ll give him a chance. We could use a greeter and he could probably help out bagging too. Nothing too hard that requires too much thinking. He can start a doing a couple hours a day, and we’ll see how it goes. Does that sound alright?” Derrick allowed Kurt a minute to process what he said.

“Yes,” replied Kurt, surprised at first that he had agreed so willingly. “That sounds perfect. I’ll have to talk to Blaine, I wanted to talk to you before I talked to him in case he got his hopes up for nothing. I’m sure he’ll agree. Thank you so much.”

Kurt extended a hand to shake Derrick’s, smiling happily. 

“No problem, Kurt. Just bring him by if he agrees and we’ll see what we can do,” said Derrick.

Kurt nodded and stood, about to head for the door when he paused and looked back at him. “Just one more thing,” said Kurt. Derrick looked up, waiting for him to continue. “I don’t want him to think you just gave him the job. He’ll want to earn it. So maybe you could just…do a little interview? Ask him a few questions, pretend like its real, then give him the job?”

Derrick nodded. “Sure. What the hell. I’m sure we can figure something out.” 

“Thank you so much!” Kurt grinned happily and hurried back to shake his hand one more time, then left the office with the promise to be in touch soon.

……………………………

Blaine was sitting on the floor in the living room when Kurt got home, and he wasn’t alone. Santana was on one side of him and Veronica, the girl who worked at the bakery down the street, was on his other side. They had colored construction paper strung all over and each had a pair of craft scissors in their hands, cutting out what appeared to be giant bubble letters. 

“Hey Kurt, you’re home early,” said Santana. She smiled as Blaine dropped what he was doing and turned around so fast it nearly gave him whiplash. 

“Kurt!” He bounced a little in place, then held up the giant, half cut out “K” that he had been working on. “Veronica come with craft stuff. I make your name!”

Kurt walked over and kneeled down on the floor beside him, looking at all his creations. He could see letters for Blaine’s name piled together, and the yet to be cut out letters of Santana’s name still on full pieces of construction paper.

“Wow, honey. Looks like you guys have been busy,” said Kurt. He smiled at Veronica, whose presence in the loft was becoming more and more common. “I have something to talk to you about, Blaine. It’ll just take a minute, then you can come back to this.”

Blaine bit his lip and glanced at Santana, then down at unfinished letters in front of him.

“Go on, nugget. I’ll finish Kurt’s name while you’re gone,” said Santana, nudging his leg with her foot. Blaine smiled and pushed himself to his feet. Kurt did the same and took Blaine’s hand, leading him into their bedroom space.

“We was makin’ names so, so that we could put them up, put them on the walls and then everyone would know, they would know it was our home,” explained Blaine, pointing in the general area of the living room. 

“Was that your idea?” asked Kurt, gently guiding him to sit on the bed beside him. Blaine nodded and grinned happily. “You’re a very smart boy for thinking that up. I’m very proud of you. So proud of you that I think you’re ready for something big and grown up.”

Blaine’s eyes grew huge and he looked at Kurt like he wasn’t sure he wanted to hear what Kurt’s suggestion was.

“What would you think about applying for a job?” asked Kurt. Blaine’s eyes grew even wider, if that was possible, and he looked down at his lap, where his fingers were loosely clasped.

“I dunno,” he mumbled. “Who would want, want me to work for-for them?”

“Well, as it so happens, Elliott’s cousin owns the market down the street. The one we always visit to get groceries. And they’re looking for someone to greet people and bag groceries. Just for a little while during the day so you’re not stuck at home all the time. What do you think about that?”

Kurt let Blaine chew on that for a few moments, and he could see the gears slowly working inside Blaine’s mind. He wondered if Blaine really understood what it meant to get a job, what the consequences would be for committing himself to something like this, if he could grasp the realness that this opportunity was in front of him.

“I want to do it,” said Blaine at last. He looked up and met Kurt’s gaze, but still looked unsure of himself. “I want to have a job. I never thought I could, never thought someone would, would want me to, the way I am.” He paused to gesture to his head. “I never thought I could. Thank you, Kurt. For finding this for me. I promise I won’t, I won’t mess it up.”

Kurt smiled and wrapped his arms around him, pulling him in for a tight hug. Blaine hugged back, his arms around Kurt’s waist and his face buried in the crook of his neck. They held each other for a long while, Kurt rubbing Blaine’s back gently and reveling in the warmth of Blaine’s breath against his sensitive skin. Finally, he pressed a kiss to Blaine’s temple and whispered in his ear.

“I know you won’t, honey. I believe in you.”

…………………………..

Blaine’s “interview” took place three days later. Santana, Rachel, Cooper, and Gina all knew that Blaine was guaranteed the job no matter what, so they spent the duration of the interview setting up a party in the loft to congratulate Blaine. They invited all the friends they’d made in the city, to show Blaine how much they all cared. Kurt knew as he walked hand in hand with Blaine to the market that he was going to love it, if he made it that far. At the moment, he was slightly worried that Blaine was going to hyperventilate.

“Blaine, breathe. In. Out. In. Out.” Kurt squeezed his hand gently. “It’s going to be okay. Just answer the questions like we practiced. You can do this.”

Blaine nodded, but it was obvious that he was very nervous, almost to the point of trembling. They made it to the market and headed right for the back. Blaine stayed tucked behind Kurt as they walked to Derrick’s office and Kurt knocked on the door. They were summoned inside, and Kurt stepped in, pulling Blaine with him.

“Hello,” said Derrick, sitting up when he recognized Kurt. “This must be Blaine.”

Kurt stepped aside so that he could see Blaine more clearly. Blaine’s eyes were wide and his grip on Kurt’s hand was white-knuckled. Kurt gave him a little nudge, urging him to speak.

“Um. H-hi. ‘m Blaine,” he murmured, not really looking him in the eye. Kurt gently rubbed his arm encouragingly.

“Alright, Blaine. Why don’t you take a seat?” Derrick gestured toward the chair in front of his desk. 

With a little encouragement from Kurt, Blaine shuffled over to sit in the chair. Without Kurt’s hand to hold onto, his fingers fisted tight the fabric of his slacks.

“I’ll be waiting outside,” said Kurt. Blaine’s head instantly shot up and he looked at him, terrified.

“Wha…Kurt…” He whimpered softly, not wanting Kurt to leave. 

“You’ll be fine,” said Kurt. “Just like we practiced.”

And then he left, leaving Blaine alone in the office with a man he’d only just met. Blaine was terrified, staring at the door as though willing Kurt to come back through it. Derrick cleared his throat lightly and Blaine jumped.

“Hey, hey it’s okay,” said Derrick softly, sensing Blaine’s distress. “Are you sure you can do this? If you’re gonna work here, I have to know I can trust you to handle yourself around the customers. There’s gonna be some situations a lot scarier than this. I’ve got some great employees that would love to help you out when things get tough, but you have to handle some things. Do you think you can?”

Blaine took a deep breath and let it out through his nose, then nodded rapidly. “Yes. Yes, I can. I can be good, and I can be around the people. I’ll be better, I promise.”

“Alright then. Why don’t we start by you telling me why you want this job?” 

“Um. I want to, to have a chance to get out of my, my comfort zone. And I want to meet people and figure things out, problem, problem solve and push myself. I want to grow, and learn, and I want to be normal. I know I’m not smart, not quick, or-or confident. Sometimes I just, just get lost. Can’t think. Don’t know what to say. I don’t know how to, how to get past it. I want to do this job because I want to figure out how. I want to do what everyone always says I can’t.” Blaine pushed the words out as quickly and strongly as he could before he lost them. He looked Derrick in the eye as he spoke, focusing all his attention on the moment and ignoring the ache beginning in his head from the effort.

The other man seemed almost stunned by Blaine’s words, clearly surprised by the response. There was a silent moment between them before Derrick spoke again.

“I think you’ve got a lot more up in that noggin than you give yourself credit for. You’ve told me all I need to here. You’re gonna fit in great here, Blaine. You have the drive I look for in all my employees. The job is yours,” said Derrick, smiling as Blaine’s face lit up with happiness.

“Really?” Blaine jumped up out of his chair and clapped his hands together. “I got the job?”

“It’s yours!”

“Thank you!” Blaine squealed happily and instantly went for the door, fumbling to open it to get to Kurt on the other side. “Kurt! I got the job!”

“You did?!” Kurt met him halfway in a tight, congratulatory hug. “Oh, Blaine, I’m so happy for you!” 

Blaine hugged him tight, then pulled back, and Kurt knew nothing would be able to wipe the grin from his face. Before leaving, they both thanked Derrick and promised to be in contact soon to get everything sorted so Blaine could start as soon as possible. For now, there was a party waiting for Blaine at home, and he deserved it.

…………………………

The party was forced to end around nine that night when Blaine began to feel the exhaustion from the day and complained of the worsening ache deep inside his head. Rachel, Cooper, and Gina cleaned up while Santana walked Veronica home and Kurt helped Blaine with his nightly bath. 

Kurt got the water just the right temperature in the bathtub and helped Blaine get undressed. He was a little sluggish from exhaustion, so Kurt had to help him into the bathtub so he didn’t fall and hurt himself. He folded Blaine’s clothes and sat on the closed toilet seat across the room, letting Blaine have as much privacy as he could. He couldn’t be left completely alone, though. Blaine had a tendency of forgetting what the purpose to taking a bath was while he was in the water. And since he’d been taking baths every night before bed since he went home after the accident, he couldn’t sleep without one.

Half an hour later, Blaine was clean and in bed, already half asleep as Kurt kissed him goodnight with the promise of joining him in a little while. Rachel was in the living room watching a movie quietly, and Cooper and Gina had just gone home. As Kurt closed the curtain tight to keep the bedroom area dark, Santana was just returning. He pressed his index finger to his lips, then gestured to the curtain. She nodded and rolled the door shut quietly. 

“So,” he said, smirking and raising an eyebrow. “You’re walking Veronica home now?”

“Hush,” said Santana. She toed off her heals and nudged Kurt into the living room, further away from Blaine, plopping down on the couch beside Rachel. Kurt sat beside her and propped his feet up on the coffee table. 

“Big day for everyone, huh?” Rachel asked, seeing the smile on Santana’s face. 

“If by everyone you mean Blaine, then yes. It was a big day for our little nugget and I’m very proud of him,” said Santana. 

“Of course we mean him, but look at you! What happened? You have to tell us,” Rachel insisted.

“Yes, come on. Pleeeeease! We want you to be happy, Santana, you have to tell us!” Kurt poked at her side, making her squirm.

“Alright, alright! Yes. Veronica and I are together. We’ve been dating for a little while. Blaine already knows, and he approves. And I really like her and I like that she’s so good with him. Now please leave me alone you gossipy little girls.” Santana laughed softly as Kurt clapped happily for her.

“Santana that’s amazing. You spend so much time making sure Blaine is happy, you deserve to be happy too,” said Rachel.

“Well thank you.” Santana sighed, smiling lightly as she leaned to rest her head on Rachel’s shoulder. “Sometimes it’s nice having something else in my life other than Blaine. I mean, I love him so much. But it’s nice to have something that’s just mine.”

Kurt hummed in agreement, curling up against her other side. He knew he couldn’t stay for long, Blaine hated sleeping alone in their bed. But this was the first quiet moment he had all day to just sit and reflect. Blaine getting a job might create more problems than it solved in the beginning, but it would work out for the best. As long as Blaine was happy, that was all any of them ever really wanted.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was a beast to write, so much happened. Hope you enjoyed it and thanks for reading.


	7. Kurt Gets Bashed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kurt gets attacked, and Burt learns to accept that he is part of Blaine's family now, whether he likes it or not.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please read: This chapter has some events that are based off of episode 5x15 Bash. It also features a lot from Burt and Blaine's parents point of view. I must say that Burt isn't the nice guy we're used to all the time in this chapter. This is an AU, life has treated everyone a little differently in this world. Also, there are mentions of Finn, who in this story died shortly after the completion of his senior year of high school, causing Kurt, Rachel, and Santana to all stay in Lima for a year before moving to New York, at which time Blaine was 18 and able to go with them.

_February 14, 2015_

Blaine could not remember ever being this happy in his whole life, even before the accident. He was pretty sure there was nothing in the whole wide world that could wipe the smile off his face as he hummed to himself and carefully placed vegetables into Mrs. David’s reusable bag. The older woman was a regular customer, and she was always kind to him. 

“Someone’s happy today. Plans tonight?” Mrs. Davis asked him, waiting patiently as he bagged her groceries. 

“Yup!” Blaine grinned. “Going to dinner with Kurt, spending time just me and him. It’s gonna be nice.” 

He placed the last cucumber on top and handed her the bag, making sure she had a hold of it before letting go. Blaine had dropped bags before, and the customers were never happy when that happened, so he tried to be better.

“That sounds like a lovely evening, dear. It’s been a while since Larry and I have gone out on Valentine’s Day. Maybe I’ll convince him I need a little night out,” she smiled and chuckled softly, and Blaine smiled in return. He found it best to just smile when the customers smiled, even when he didn’t really understand what they were talking about.

“Have a nice day, Mrs. David,” said Blaine, waving to her as she left the store. He felt a hand touch his arm and he looked over to see Miranda, his friend and coworker. She knew he was easily distracted, but her hand on his arm always reminded him he had work to do. He smiled as he looked up at the next customer and let out a gasp. “Kurt!”

Kurt was standing there, smiling at him. Oh how Blaine loved it when Kurt came to the store during his shift! He got to show Kurt how good he was getting at his job, and he got to see him during the day. But a second look at Kurt told him something was wrong. Something was very wrong. His face was paler than normal and his smile didn’t reach his eyes. Blaine’s smile faded instantly.

“Kurt. Kurt, what wrong?” Blaine asked, bouncing a little on the balls of his feet anxiously. 

“Nothing, honey. Don’t worry about it. Just focus on your job,” said Kurt, gesturing to the piling up vegetables. Blaine nodded and focused on the task at hand. He always took special care of Kurt’s things, because he didn’t want to disappoint him. Once he was done, he handed Kurt his bag and saw the sad look in his eyes.

“Kurt…” Blaine hated seeing Kurt be sad. Something was wrong and it was making Blaine worried. He did not like feeling worried. It made his chest tight and tummy clench and his head hurt. 

“It’s okay,” Kurt promised, although it wasn’t very convincing. “I love you and I’ll see you at home.”

He paused long enough to give Blaine a quick kiss on the cheek, then left the store. Blaine did not like this one bit. Kurt never just bought stuff and left. He always hung around, or showed up at the end of Blaine’s shift so he could take him home. And Kurt never came to see him and looked so sad. Something was very, very wrong, and Blaine couldn’t stop thinking about what it could possibly be.

Miranda touched his arm again and he started working again, but he was so distracted he could hardly concentrate and he dropped a bag of apples on the floor. The customer wasn’t very forgiving, demanding not to have to pay for bruised apples. They had no patience, and these were the types of people Blaine did not do well with. Blaine tried to block out their harsh tone of voice, but their words still cut deep. They called him stupid and incompetent, and even though he wasn’t really sure what the second one meant, he knew it was bad. He apologized profusely, but he didn’t know what else to do. Finally the customer just told them to forget about the apples, then took the rest of their things and left. 

Blaine hung his head in shame, trying not to let himself cry. It was hard. He felt so ashamed at having let someone down. Miranda touched his arm again and he looked up. She gave him a little encouraging smile.

“Don’t let ‘em get you down, Blainey. We all make mistakes,” Miranda told him. He nodded and took a deep breath, pushing the tears away. He couldn’t risk messing up again, so he made himself forget about seeing Kurt unhappy, and he focused completely on his job.

………………………….

It was late afternoon when Blaine’s shift at the store finished. He finished at the same time as Miranda, so she walked him home, her arm linked through his as they walked along the crowded sidewalk. When they reached his building, she let him go with a hug. He knew how to get to the loft from here, he’d had a lot of practice. 

He went inside and found the elevator, then poked the button for the fourth floor, humming a random tune as he rode the bumpy old contraption. Finally it reached his floor and he hurried out and down the hall to the loft. Rolling the door open, he smiled when he saw Kurt, Rachel, Santana, Elliott, and Veronica all sitting at the kitchen table. All his friends were here! Even Elliott was his friend now, because he’d been friends with Kurt all this time and never tried to take him away. 

“Hi!” said Blaine, hanging up his coat and hurrying over to the table, where everyone was in deep, whispered conversation. Blaine furrowed his brow. Huh. They were being weird. And no one said hi back. Then he remembered how Kurt had looked earlier that afternoon, and he wondered if it had something to do with that. Finally, Santana noticed him and stood, pulling him into a tight embrace. He hugged her back, but he knew something was really wrong now. 

“What wrong?” asked Blaine as Santana pulled back. Kurt stood now and reached for his hand, tugging him over to the seat beside him.

“Something happened today,” said Kurt calmly. 

Blaine’s eyes widened and a million possibilities swarmed into his head so fast he felt dizzy. Something happened. Was it Cooper or Gina? Mama or Daddy? Kurt’s dad? Any one of their friends? Something bad? Were they making him go away? His head swirled and he blinked his eyes, trying to make the feeling go away. Kurt touched his hand gently.

“Come back to me, honey,” said Kurt. Blaine nodded and looked at him. “Someone I go to school with was attacked last night. He was hurt pretty bad. So bad that no one knows if he’ll wake up.” 

“Oh…that’s bad…” said Blaine, biting his bottom lip as he glanced at the others. “Was he your friend?”

“Yeah, he kinda was,” said Kurt. “He was a really nice guy, and he was attacked for being gay. Some very mean people ganged up on him and hurt him, all because of who he loves.”

Blaine gulped softly and looked down. He hated that people could be so mean. He knew Kurt had been picked on a lot for being gay and so had Blaine. His first high school, people had pushed him around and called him names even more than usual when they found out he liked boys. 

“That why everyone’s here?” asked Blaine softly, gripping Kurt’s hand in his to stay close.

“Yeah. We’re all gonna go to a candlelight vigil tonight, near where he was attacked,” Kurt told him.

“But…we, we were gonna…” Blaine trailed off and held back a whimper, knowing by the look on his face that this was very important to Kurt.

“I know we had plans, but there will always be other nights. This is important. And I’d really like it if you’d come with me,” said Kurt, clasping his other hand around Blaine’s and bringing it up to kiss his knuckled gently.

“Of course,” said Blaine. He’d go anywhere with Kurt. 

Kurt thanked him, and went back to talking with the group. This was gonna be a long night. Blaine could tell. He didn’t know who this guy was they all kept talking about, but whatever happened to him must have been really bad. He was in the hospital, and Blaine hated the hospital. He’d been there too many times and he didn’t ever want to go back, even though he knew he probably would someday. 

Worst of all though, Kurt seemed really worried about something. That made Blaine worried too. And Blaine did not like to be worried.

…………………………….

The days following the bashing of his classmate, Kurt felt different. He felt protective over his friends, his home, his sexuality, and most of all Blaine. Knowing that as safe as Blaine was, there was still some sick asshole out there who could and possibly would dare to hurt him had Kurt on edge. Every day he went straight home from class and indulged Blaine in all the cuddles he could ask for and more. He made love to Blaine every night and sometimes in the mornings, and all the hours in between he thought about wrapping him up in his arms and keeping him safe from the world.

He knew the feeling would pass eventually, when the shock wore off and things returned to normal. For now, he knew Blaine didn’t have any objections to the extra attention Kurt was paying him. But today it was later than usual. His dance practice ran late and he promised Blaine he’d bring home some Chinese food, so it was after five and already the sky was dark.

Checking the time on his phone, Kurt walked faster. He had to catch a train quick to get to the Chinese place before the dinner rush. As he passed an alley, he heard the sound of a car engine rev, and then a thud and a yell. He paused and looked down, seeing a group of guys in the dark alley. He was about to speed up and walk by, not wanting to witness some illicit happenings, but then he heard it.

“ _What’s the matter retard? Fight back! Come on!_ ”

Instantly something in Kurt’s heart twisted and a glimpse of a nightmare flashed behind his eyes. Blaine, surrounding by guys much bigger and stronger than him, their fists raised as he cowered in front of them, confused and terrified.

“ _Fucking faggot!_ ”

A terrified scream pulled Kurt into the moment, and a surge of adrenaline pushed him into that alley.

“Hey! _Hey!_ ” Kurt yelled, running up and grabbing one of the attackers, shoving them so hard they stumbled back a few steps. “What the hell is wrong with you?!”

“Hey look, another one!” One of the guys laughed. 

“Now it’s an even fight,” snapped Kurt. Unfortunately, with the distraction of Kurt, the victim was on his feet and running away as quickly as he could, leaving him alone with the two guys. They turned their hate-filled glares to Kurt and focused solely on him. Kurt could smell alcohol, and it only fueled his anger. Their words kept floating through his mind, and that image of Blaine cowering on the ground that he had only seen in his nightmares.

“What the fuck is wrong with you? What decade are you from that you think this is okay? Ganging up on someone who can’t fight back! You’re cowards!” Kurt shouted, pushing one of the men away as he grabbed at him.

“Fucking fairy, what’re gonna do about it?” The man taunted him, then lunged at him with a fist. Kurt ducked and spun around, driving his fist into the man’s jaw. Another fist pounded into his side, causing pain to shoot through his body. He threw punch after punch in an untrained attempt to defend himself, relying on the strength of his muscles to try to land the right hits. That image of defenseless Blaine drove him to hit harder and harder, until he was sure the fight was his. But another punch to his side nearly had him doubling over in pain, and then a sharp, agonizing pain slammed into his forehead and sent him toppling over. With one last kick to his side, the attackers ran off to their waiting van, and Kurt quickly drifted out of consciousness.

……………………………

“Your boyfriend is late,” Santana declared. Blaine sat up from where he had been laying on the couch. His music played softly and filled the loft, some classical piano music that Santana only tolerated because it made him happy. 

“Maybe he missed the train?” Blaine suggested, hugging his arms around a throw pillow. 

“I called him three times. His phone must be dead,” said Santana. She was dressed in her diner uniform and was ready to go to work. “I’ve gotta go or I’ll be late. I’ll just call Veronica. She has the night off.”

Blaine watched as she disappeared into her own private area with her phone, then laid back on the couch. His tummy rumbled and he thought of the Chinese food Kurt promised. His taste buds were practically watering at the thought of vegetable chow mein, his favorite. Snuggling into the couch cushions, knowing Kurt would be home soon and they would have a perfect night together. Ever since the night Kurt’s friend had been attacked, Kurt had been so affectionate. He was always touching Blaine and cuddling him and every night his touches would find their way to places that made Blaine’s whole body tingle. And twice a day for the last three days they had made love. Blaine couldn’t remember the last time his body felt this satisfied, while at the same time he secretly hoped this trend would continue. 

“Alright.” Santana entered the room and Blaine shifted slightly, blushing a little at the direction his thoughts had taken. “Alright, nugget. I gotta go to work. Veronica will be here in literally less than ten minutes. All you gotta do is sit here and listen to your piano music and she’ll be here soon. You gonna be okay?”

Blaine nodded. He could be alone for that long. He was getting better about not being afraid of stuff. The city was not so scary by now. Ten minutes was nothing. Besides, Kurt could get home any minute, and then he wouldn’t be alone!

“Have a good night. And if you and Kurt decide to have fun after I get home, please be quiet.” Santana leaned down to kiss his cheek before leaving him lying there, blushing bright red. 

Ten minutes later, Veronica showed up, bringing all her craft stuff. Blaine was only a little disappointed that it wasn’t Kurt walking through the door, but he loved when Veronica came over because they got to work on their scrapbooks. Blaine was making a scrapbook all about him and Kurt, to give to him on their next anniversary. In a month, it would be four years since they became a couple, and Blaine couldn’t hardly believe he had been with his soulmate for that long already.

“Hi Blainey,” said Veronica as she perched on the edge of the couch, looking down at him. “Ready to finish that page we were working on?”

Blaine nodded and jumped up, hurrying over to his desk where he had hidden the scrapbook in the bottom of the drawer. He was attempting to pull it out when his cell phone started ringing loudly. It was all the way in the kitchen, and he didn’t like answering it anyway. He whined softly and pulled out the book, then pointed to the kitchen.

“That’s my phone. Please?” Blaine asked, his hands full of scrapbook. 

“Sure,” Veronica smiled and got up, going in search of his phone. Blaine carried the scrapbook over to the coffee table and knelt down on the floor, carefully flipping through the pages and smiling at all the pictures of him and Kurt. He gently reached out to touch Kurt’s face in one photo, the tip of his index finger tracing over his cheek. If he concentrated hard enough he could imagine the feeling of Kurt’s skin, like he was actually there. 

“Blainey…”

He looked up to see Veronica standing above him, holding his phone tight in her fist, her eyes red and tears flowing down her cheeks. His smile faded as he saw the sadness in her expression.

“What wrong?” he asked, turning to face her a little better. Veronica sniffled and wiped her cheeks.

“It’s…it’s Kurt. There’s been an accident.”

…………………………….

Santana and Rachel arrived at the hospital at the same time, rushing inside to the waiting room where they found Veronica sitting, hunched over worriedly and one hand carding through her dyed-violet hair as Blaine paced back and forth. He was shaking, his hands fluttering about nervously as he muttered unintelligibly to himself.

“What happened? How is he?” questioned Rachel. 

“I don’t know,” said Veronica, standing and greeting them both with a hug. “Blaine is seriously freaking me out right now. He had a panic attack at home and he’s been doing this ever since we got here. They won’t let us in. Family only, or something.”

“This is bull crap. Kurt is his legal guardian, he should be able to go in. Excuse me, nurse!” 

Santana caught a nurse as she walked by. “We’re here to see Kurt Hummel. And don’t give me any of that ‘family only’ crap. See that boy over there? Kurt is his legal guardian. He has a right to be in that room.”

The nurse, slightly frightened by Santana, hurried off to find the doctor. A few minutes later, they were being led to Kurt’s room.

“He has a hairline fracture above his right eye socket, a couple of broken ribs, and a few bruises. He’s out on pain meds right now, and he’s schedule for surgery in a couple hours, but we’ll let you in,” explained the doctor. Santana held Blaine’s hand, tugging him along. His expression was blank, overwhelmed, and he stumbled every other step, like he kept forgetting how to pick up his feet. Deep down, she could tell that he was absolutely terrified. 

Santana prepared herself, knowing anything could happen as soon as Blaine walked into that room, and then she opened the door for him.

…………………………….

Blaine trembled as he was let into Kurt’s room, wringing his hands as he shuffled forward. His eyes were wide and he felt tears burning them as soon as he saw Kurt’s face. The bruises around his cheeks and eyes, the cut on his lip and above his eye, and his battered knuckles. Something bad had happened to Kurt. Something very, very bad. Blaine gasped softly, not realizing that he had been holding his breath.

As he reached Kurt’s bed, he looked him over, whimpering softly at how horrible the sight before him was. His lip trembled as more tears poured from his eyes, trailing down his face like a steady waterfall. He reached out slowly to touch Kurt’s hand, but withdrew before his fingers made contact. He brought both hands up to cover his mouth and let out a pained sob. 

All he wanted to do was wrap Kurt up in his arms and hold him until the whole world disappeared and it was just them, but at the same time he was terrified to touch him. What if he hurt him more? Blaine felt sick at the thought of being the cause of more pain. 

“Kurt…” he whimpered, shuffling closer until his legs were pressed against the side of Kurt’s hospital bed. “Oh Kurt…Kurt, why…why you, why they do this? Kurt…”

He broke off as another sob escaped, and his head was starting to hurt so bad he couldn’t even think. His gaze was frozen on Kurt’s bruised face, and Blaine finally had to close his eyes and look away. It didn’t help though, that image was burned into the backs of his eyelids and it was all he could see, all he could think about, and it only made him cry harder. 

Arms wrapped around him as Santana caught him before his legs gave out. She maneuvered him so he was sitting on the edge of Kurt’s bed, but Blaine was still terrified of even nudging him. He grabbed at Santana, needing someone to hold on to, someone in his arms to gain comfort from. She let out a little noise of surprise as he clung to her, his body shaking as he tried to control his crying. 

Santana shushed him softly, and eventually Blaine began to come out of it. His sobs quieted and he loosened his grip on her as he turned back to Kurt. His hands were still trembling as he gently fit his hand in Kurt’s, disheartened when he realized Kurt wasn’t conscious and couldn’t grip back.

“Kurt…’m here, Kurt…” whispered Blaine softly, his voice tired from crying. A moment later Rachel and Veronica entered the room, keeping against the far wall and watching from across the room. 

“They said he was in a fight. He was attacked or something, and was found unconscious in an alley. They figure he was there for maybe an hour before someone found him,” said Rachel, taking one step forward to see Kurt better, than instantly regretting it. 

“Jesus fuck, who would do something like this?” Santana shook her head, rubbing Blaine’s back gently as he quivered with the effort of holding back his tears. 

Blaine released Kurt’s hand, then carefully and slowly situated himself along Kurt’s side, laying down beside him as close as possible without touching him. He propped himself up and looked at Kurt’s face, then brought his hand up to lightly brush his fingertip across Kurt’s forehead, pushing back a strand of hair that had flopped down. Then he laid down, his head resting against Kurt’s shoulder. 

He didn’t know what else to do. He felt so helpless seeing Kurt like this. Sure, he had been getting better at watching out for himself, but Kurt was supposed to be there to help him. And now someone had hurt Kurt and Blaine didn’t know what to do. He had never dreamed anything like this could happen to his Kurt. His beautiful, strong, perfect Kurt. Just knowing he was in pain and unconscious made Blaine’s stomach twist with anxiety and worry. He hated being in the hospital. As long as they were there, things were uncertain. But he would stay there, snuggled up against Kurt’s side, until he woke up and everything was alright.

…………………………...

When Burt Hummel got the call that his son was in the hospital, he tried not to panic. As if on autopilot he packed a suitcase and promised Carole he’d call her as soon as he got there, then drove to the airport and got the first ticket to New York he could. He could hardly sit still for the duration of the two hour flight, thinking about how the last time he saw Kurt was at Christmas, and he seriously hoped that wasn’t really the last time. He couldn’t stand to think of losing Kurt, not so soon after losing his other son. When he was getting off the plane, he realized Blaine’s parents had been on the same flight. Apparently they had gotten a phone call as well. The three of them shared a cab. 

He arrived at the hospital four hours after receiving the call, and hurried inside. Kurt’s friends were sitting in the waiting room, along with a girl he didn’t recognize but guessed was Santana’s girlfriend. He didn’t see Blaine, so he assumed he was in Kurt’s room. Rachel greeted him and showed him the way to Kurt’s room, explaining what had happened and his injuries. He thanked her and gave her a quick hug, then stepped inside Kurt’s room.

Kurt was asleep still, and Blaine was curled up by his side, muttering to him softly. Burt felt something hot and painful in his chest at the sight of Kurt’s face, bruised and battered, and he shook his head in an effort to battle the emotions. 

“Oh hell, what did you get yourself into now?” Burt said as he approached the other side of Kurt’s bed. Blaine looked up as he approached, then ducked his head back down and refused to make eye contact. Burt sighed for his son, because on top of being hurt like this he was burdened with Blaine, who would no doubt make Kurt’s recovery more difficult. How was Kurt supposed to worry about taking care of Blaine in this condition? He seriously hoped someone would take the guy off Kurt’s hands for a while. 

“Kurt got hurt,” said Blaine, like Burt couldn’t see the obvious. “Hurt real bad. I tell him I love him, in case he hear me. I love you, Kurt. Love you so much.” He tilted his head up and gingerly kissed Kurt’s cheek. 

“Were you there when it happened?” Burt asked.

“No,” said Blaine. He shook his head and his voice quivered like he was going to cry. “Was at home, waiting for him. Santana had to go to work, so she call Veronica. I was gonna do my scrapbook for Kurt, then the phone rang.”

Burt nodded, not sure if he was glad of this explanation or not. He sat on the edge of Kurt’s bed and looked down at him and stayed like that for a few minutes until a nurse entered. 

“Hi, you must be Kurt’s father,” said the nurse. Burt nodded. “So sorry this has happened, Mr. Hummel. I’m gonna have to ask you to leave, Kurt is to be prepped for surgery. It’s nothing to worry about, just a minor surgery to repair some non-life threatening damage from his broken ribs. He’ll be out in an hour or two, tops.” 

Burt nodded again and stood up, sending one last glance down at his son before walking around to the other side of the bed. “C’mon Blaine, time to go.”

Except Blaine didn’t budge. He didn’t even look up. He just stayed there, curled up against Kurt’s side. Burt sighed. So it was going to be like this, then.

“Blaine. Let’s go, buddy. We have to let Kurt go so he can get better.” Burt reached out to grab Blaine’s arm, but he still refused to move. This guy really tested his patience sometimes. “Blaine. Let’s go!” He raised his voice a little as he gave Blaine’s arm a tug, nearly sending him rolling off the side of the bed. 

Blaine let out a cry of shock and pain as he scrambled to right himself without bumping into Kurt. He shoved Burt away and cradled his arm. “No! I won’t! I won’t go, I won’t leave him, I need him!” Blaine let out a sob and tried to curl up beside Kurt again.

This time the nurse stepped in, trying to be calm. “Kurt needs you to let him go for just a little while, but you can come back when he’s better.”

“No! I won’t, won’t leave him, I won’t I need him I need my Kurt!” Blaine sobbed and brought a hand up, fisting it in his hair and pressing his face into the side of his arm. A telltale sign there was something going on in that head of his that Burt really did not want to have to deal with on top of all this.

“Can you go get his parents? They’re in the lobby. They’ll know how to get rid of him,” Burt snapped. The nurse hurried out of the room as Burt tried once again to get Blaine to leave Kurt, but his body was stiff as a board and he would not budge. 

Moments later, Jack and Viv both entered the room. Parents on a mission. They instantly went to Blaine’s side and attempted to coax him out of his position. They managed to get him off the bed and on his feet, but he was still hunched over, crying and gripping his hair so tight it had to be making things worse for him. The three of them were just about out of the room and Burt was about to allow himself a sigh of relief before leaving as well, when suddenly Blaine let out a horrible scream, struggling against his father’s arms around his waist. 

“NO! I can’t, can’t! Kurt!” Blaine half screamed, half sobbed as he pushed and shoved and kicked out in an effort to escape and get back to Kurt. Closing the door to the room quickly, Burt effectively cut off his line of sight to Kurt. But it only made it worse. Blaine sobbed, horrible loud crying sobs as he struggled against Jack’s grip. He was clearly trying to soothe the guy, but nothing was happened. They wrestled him down to the floor, and Burt caught sight of twisted, pained look on Blaine’s face. Suddenly all of Kurt’s friends were there, trying to calm Blaine as well. 

Burt was half tempted to see if hospital security would try to get them out. This was not what he wanted to deal with. Kurt was in there, about to go into surgery, hurting from someone attacking him, and Blaine was out here making the whole damn situation about him. Sometimes, knowing that Kurt had to deal with this for the rest of his life, chose to deal with this, it really pissed Burt off.

He stood back and watched as Blaine curled up in a ball, his hands gripping his head as he cried loudly. Everyone was trying to calm him, to quiet him, and Burt just shook his head. He watched as Jack picked Blaine up, his arms straining under his weight, and carried him over to one of the cushioned benches in the waiting room. 

“He do this often?” Burt asked Rachel, who was nearest to him. She looked to the waiting room sadly, her eyes tired.

“Not really. Not usually screaming like that. I’ve only seen it once before. Sometimes he just cries,” said Rachel. 

“Is it always at the most inconvenient times that he draws attention to himself?” asked Burt, shoved his hands into the pockets of his jeans. He didn’t realize that Blaine had quieted long enough for everyone to hear what Burt had said.

Satisfied that his wife had Blaine under control, Jack stood and stepped toward Burt, his hands and jaw clenching from a lack of patience. Burt lifted his head, waiting to hear what the man had to say. Perhaps an apology for Blaine’s behavior. 

“Do you have a problem with my son?” asked Jack. Not what Burt had expected.

“Not really,” said Burt. “He’s just a bit old to be acting like that, isn’t he?” 

Jack raised both eyebrows and gaped at him for a moment, then shook his head, almost in disbelief. “Do you even know what you’re talking about? Have you met Blaine?”

“Yes, I have. He’s a fine boy. Cares about Kurt a lot. It’s just times like these it would be nice if he could just not make things about him when Kurt is lying in that hospital bed about to go to surgery because some heartless guys beat the shit out of him!” Burt couldn’t help but raise his voice, feeling his face heat up with anger, despite knowing it wasn’t good for his heart to lose his temper.

“I am sorry that your son is hurt, and I am here to support him because he’s like a son to me too, but do you seriously have the nerve to look at me and say that Blaine is trying to make this about him?” Jack stepped a bit closer, puffing out his chest a little. Burt narrowed his eyes. So the guy was gonna try to be tough, huh?

“Yeah. I do. I never liked that about him. Always taking so much from my Kurt, always draining him emotionally and physically. Everything is about him. Blaine this, Blaine that, Blaine can’t control himself and you let him go and live with Kurt? So, what. So Kurt could spend the rest of his life dealing with that crap because you didn’t want to be responsible for your stupid kid?” Burt was full on yelling by the time he finished, and his rant was met with a sharp pain in his jaw and a flash of white passing by his eyes. He stumbled back and clutched his face, then when his vision focused again he saw Jack standing with his hand balled up into a fist. 

Burt didn’t give him time to shout back, surging forward and attempting to punch him back. Jack managed to dodge the hit, so Burt settled for giving him a good shove, sending him stumbling back a few steps. Jack was about to charge back at him when Viv was suddenly in front of him, both hands on his chest and holding him back. She was tiny roadblock, but sufficient enough to keep them separated.

“Stop this! Stop it right now, before someone calls security!” She shouted, pushing her husband back another step. “And you’re only making it worse! Blaine doesn’t need this right now.”

Her words only made Burt roll his eyes, but it was enough to shake Jack out of the moment and get him to retreat. He sent another glare Burt’s way, then stepped back into the other room, where Blaine was now rocking back and forth, still crying. Burt shook his head and rubbed his jaw. He needed to go outside and get some air. This was going to be a long night.

…………………………..

Viv had heard the words that set her husband off. Calling Blaine stupid in any way, shape, or form was something no one close to him took lightly. She had a few words stewing inside her to share with Burt Hummel later, but in a much less physical approach. For now, her job was to care for Blaine. He had been the reason they came to New York, after all. When Cooper called to tell them what had happened, she had known that Blaine wouldn’t be able to handle Kurt being injured very well, and in times like this the boy needed his mother and father more than anyone else.

She sat on the bench beside Blaine, his head resting against her chest and her arms around his torso, holding him close. He was still tense, all his muscles pulled tight, but he had stopped fisting his hair in favor of simply holding his no doubt aching head. She whispered softly to him soothing words of comfort, and occasionally dropped a gentle kiss to his temple or forehead. His cries had quieted, but tears still streamed steadily down his face. It wouldn’t be long before he would cry himself to exhaustion and pass out in her arms. 

Blaine’s friends were nearby, watching him carefully for any signs they could help. Viv suspected they were glad for the distraction from Kurt. They were all just kids still with too many grown up responsibilities, and Viv would stay as long as she could help. She tilted her head so she could look down at Blaine’s face, which was scrunched up in pain. Her fingers gently traced the lines forming near his eyes, then wiped away the tears there. 

Sometimes it was hard to believe Blaine was twenty years old now. She always wondered if he would even make it this far. Every day was precious when his life was a never ending mystery. No one could really tell how Blaine’s injury would affect him in the long term. With every episode like this, she only hoped it wasn’t his last.

She noticed movement out of the corner of her eye and saw Rachel coming over to sit beside her. Rachel looked at Blaine sadly, and Viv tightened her arms around him once more.

“You can’t blame Mr. Hummel for the things he said,” said Rachel. “He’s just taking this really hard. After losing Finn, he’s just scared. It’s been three years, but he’s just scared of losing his son.”

“I know,” said Viv. “He just…hit a sensitive spot, I think. When he called Blaine stupid.”

She paused when she felt Blaine shudder in her arms, and gently rubbed his back, shushing him quietly.

“After Finn died, when we put off coming to New York for a year, Blaine and Kurt became my family,” said Rachel. “I have a lot of big dreams that I’m going to follow, but I don’t know what I would do if I lost either of them. I can only imagine what Kurt’s dad feels.”

Viv looked at her, not really sure what to say in response. She remembered the month after Finn’s death, when Blaine didn’t understand why Kurt stopped coming over every single day. Other than that, she didn’t know much about what had happened during that time. As usual, she was focused only on her son.

“When Kurt wakes up, things will be better. When Blaine can see that he’s okay,” said Rachel. She reached out and lightly rubbed Blaine’s shoulder. He relaxed into the touch a little, and Viv was pleased to see he took comfort in those he lived with. 

Footsteps broke the quiet in the room and Viv looked up to see if Jack had returned from getting everyone coffee. She was surprised to see a chilly looking Burt standing across the room, not looking at them. She placed a small kiss on top of Blaine’s head, then looked over at Rachel.

“Would you mind taking over for a minute? I need to stretch my legs.” 

Rachel nodded and hurried to take her spot beside Blaine. Once she was sure he was as comfortable as he was going to get, she stood and walked over to Burt, clearing her throat softly. He turned to look at her, his expression unreadable. She was thankful that there didn’t seem to be too much of a bruise forming on his face.

“Can we talk?” she asked. 

He shrugged and nodded, then said, “Go ahead.”

“To be honest, what you said before, that was really rude. I know you’re having a hard time of things right now with all this happening to Kurt, but I really thought you were a kind man. How could someone who claims to be open minded say those things about someone so helpless?” she looked up at him, her big brown eyes darker than Blaine’s but just as effective at displaying her feelings. 

Burt sighed and brought a hand up to his head, pulled off his baseball cap, and rubbed a hand over his bald head. Once the cap was replaced, he shrugged again. 

“Look. I’m sorry, okay? I’m worried about my son. I know you know what that’s like. I worry about Kurt all the time. Twenty-one years old and doomed to a life of serving Blaine, and what does he get out of it?”

“Love,” replied Viv instantly. “Love in its purest form. Most people don’t know how to love unconditionally. They’re tainted by life’s complications. But not Blaine. That accident took a lot of things from Blaine, but it never touched his ability to love. The way he feels for Kurt, nothing could change it. He loves him.”

“Loves him until when? Kurt can’t take care of him anymore?” questioned Burt. 

Viv gave an exasperated sigh. “Do you even know what unconditional love is? It means nothing and no one can make that boy stop loving your son. And if you are so accepting of your son loving whoever he wants, then you better back off and let him love Blaine.”

“I am supportive of Kurt, of everything he does. That doesn’t mean I agree with it!” 

“Oh cut the crap, Burt. You and I both know why you treat Blaine like this, and it’s not because you don’t want your son to take care of Blaine. You need to stop blaming him for something that isn’t his fault and understand that Kurt loves Blaine just as much as Blaine loves him, even if his episodes do attract attention. Which he can’t help, by the way. Maybe if people like you were as patient and understanding as you claim to be with people like him, he wouldn’t react that way at all.” Viv kept her voice down, but she couldn’t help the way her words came out. She had always thought Burt was a kind man, especially after all he had gone through in his life, but she was sick of him acting so sour toward someone who had no control over the way they react.

Burt seemed to contemplate her words, but did not reply. She was right, then. Burt blamed her son for things that couldn’t be changed. If he had felt this way for this long, Viv wondered if he would ever be able to move on. She folded her arms in front of her and sighed.

“Maybe we should just take him home with us,” she said. That seemed to catch Burt’s attention.

“Why? Didn’t you just get done telling me all about how much they love each other?” 

“Yes, but it’s important for Blaine’s health that he’s surrounded by people who are unconditionally supportive of him and have patience for his condition. There are enough people out there with no tolerance, he shouldn’t have to deal with that in his own family. If we take him back now and do some damage control, then maybe in a couple years he’ll forget and move on,” said Viv. She hadn’t really considered taking Blaine back to Ohio until she had said the words. Now it felt like a real possibility.

Burt seemed stunned by her explanation, like he hadn’t realized how bad he had been until she said it like that. He opened his mouth to say something, but was interrupted before he even started. Kurt’s doctor came up to them and cleared his throat lightly. 

“Burt Hummel? Your son is out of surgery. You can see him now.”

Burt nodded and thanked the doctor, then looked back at Viv. He held eye contact with her for a few moments, then turned away and followed the doctor down the hall and out of sight. 

……………………………..

It took two hours for Kurt to wake up, but Burt was right there by his side when he did. Kurt eyes blinked open slowly, and he winced in pain when he did. What happened? Kurt glanced around, noting he was in the hospital. His head ached dully, but mostly his body felt tingly and numb from pain killers. Tilting his head to look at his dad, he coughed softly.

“Take it easy, bud,” said Burt, reaching for a glass of water with a bendy straw. Kurt lifted his heavy arms to direct the straw toward his mouth, drinking slowly to sooth his dry throat. Once he was properly hydrated he laid his head back down and sighed.

“Hi dad,” he whispered, giving a little half-hearted smile. “How do I look?”

“Awful. Don’t even scare me like this again. What were you thinking?” questioned Burt, trying not to be angry with his son, but still feeling the pain of the whole ordeal. 

“I don’t know…I just. They were beating this guy up. Calling him a faggot. And…and a retard. I thought of Blaine, and something clicked.” Kurt shrugged tiredly, his eyes drifting closed for just a second. When he opened them, he saw his father’s face had turned angry. “What’s wrong?”

“Blaine. Everything is always about Blaine, isn’t it? Even when you’re in here hurting, it’s always about Blaine,” said Burt. 

Kurt narrowed his eyes at this, wincing as his bruised eye gave a sharp stab of pain. “Of course it’s about Blaine. I would do anything to protect him.”

“Like get into fights you have no business involving yourself in?”

“Yeah. I suppose so,” sighed Kurt. He looked around, trying to fully examine the room around him. “Where is he, anyway? I half expected to open my eyes and find him three inches from my face.”

“He’s at home. His parents are here. They took him and Santana and Rachel home. He’s…he’s not dealing with you being hurt so well. He had one of those crazy screaming episodes when he had to leave your room. Kicking and screaming like a little kid having a temper tantrum. He was still crying last I saw,” explained Burt. Rachel had stopped in to tell him an hour ago that they were leaving for the night and would be back in the morning to visit. 

“He had an episode?” Kurt tried to sit up, instantly worried. “How bad was it? Did he pass out? Did he hurt himself?”

“Jesus, Kurt, I don’t know! I wasn’t paying attention. God knows that kid doesn’t need more people paying attention to him,” said Burt. Kurt looked at him strangely, like he didn’t understand. “I’m just worried about you, Kurt. And damn it, I’m mad. I’m really mad to know that all this,” he motioned to Kurt’s bruised face, “is because of him. I’m mad to know that all he has to do is throw a tantrum and you instantly come second. You deserve better than that, Kurt. You deserve someone who’s your equal!”

“I don’t understand,” said Kurt. “I really do not understand what you have against Blaine. I know you said you’d support me no matter who I love, but why is it that I fall in love with someone who has brain damage and instantly it’s okay that I’m gay as long as I love a boy who is normal? Or my equal? Whatever the hell that means.”

“It’s not the brain damage I have a problem with! Damn it, Kurt. Any other guy with brain damage would have been fine but it had to be him! Why did it have to be him?” Burt stood and pulled off his cap, scrubbing his hand over his head again. He faced away from Kurt, his hands on his hips.

“What are you talking about? Why does it matter?” Kurt looked up at Burt, so confused it was making his head ache more. He briefly wondered if this was how Blaine felt when he got his headaches.

“I mean, you had to pick the one guy who constantly reminds me of what I lost. And who very well might take away the one person I don’t think I could stand to lose.” Burt turned around when he was met with silence from his son. Kurt patiently waited for more of an explanation. “The accident that injured Blaine was the same accident that killed your mother.” 

Kurt was speechless, looking up at him with his lips parted in disbelief. 

“Are you…are you serious?”

Burt nodded and sighed, closing his eyes for a moment as he perched on the side of Kurt’s bed. He pulled up the most painful memories of his life and took a deep breath, then began to tell his son what he had been hiding from him for the last four years.  
…………………………….

_Burt sat in the hospital hallway, his elbows on his knees and his head in his hands. It had been his first moment to himself since that horrible phone call, and the numbness in his heart was beginning to tug in the direction of pain. He couldn’t process what had happened today. His beautiful Elizabeth was dead. Gone. He would never see her beautiful, smiling face ever again. The weight of it all was crushing on his shoulders._

_It had been hours. His son was in his hospital bed napping after getting a cast on his broken arm. He still didn’t know that his mother was gone. Burt loathed the idea of telling him that when they went home the next day, it would only be the two of them. Their house would feel empty without her._

_“Hey, Burt.” A man in a police uniform walked up to him. He did not want to hear what he had to say._

_“What’s up, Steve?” asked Burt, looking up at his friend._

_“I’m very sorry for your loss,” Steve said. “I’d just like to inform you that the driver who caused the accident is being arrested for three counts of vehicular assault and one count of vehicular manslaughter. She claims it was all an accident, but the witness reports say she was all over the road. Someone will pay for Lizzie’s death. I’ll make sure of it.”_

_Burt nodded and breathed out through his nose. He wasn’t sure what to make of this news._

_“Three counts of assault?” he asked. Had there been more people involved in the accident?_

_“She had her two nephews in the car with her. Could change to two assault and two manslaughter the way the kid’s looking, though,” replied Steve. Burt rubbed his hand over his head, then palmed his eyes, trying to rub away the tears beginning to surface again._

_“Look, buddy, I appreciate you telling me this, but I need some time alone,” said Burt. Steve nodded and patted his shoulder once, then stood and walked away._

_That night, he told Kurt that his mother had gone to heaven, and that even though he wouldn’t see her again for a very long time, she was always watching him. He held his son as he cried for hours, crying himself to sleep. The next day, the grim Hummel men got ready to leave the hospital. Kurt was in the customary wheelchair, and they were heading down the hallway when Kurt spotted an open hospital door._

_“Daddy, wait,” said Kurt. He got up and walked over to the door slowly, peering inside. He gasped and tears instantly filled his eyes. Burt looked inside to see what looked like a boy around Kurt’s age, laying in a bed with tubes and wires all over his body. His head looked swollen under a bandage, and Kurt was crying softly at the sight. “Daddy, it’s the boy. The boy I was in the ambulance with. He’s hurt real bad, isn’t he?”_

_Burt put a hand on his shoulder and tugged him away from the room._

_“Yeah, bud. He’s hurt real bad. But he’s gonna be okay,” said Burt. Suddenly he became aware of another presence near them, and he looked up to see a tired looking woman in rumpled clothes and mascara stains down her cheeks. Her black hair was piled on top of her head messily as she peered into the window of the room they had just been looking into._

_“I’m sorry to hear about your wife,” the woman said, glancing over at them. “I can’t imagine what you’re going through right now.”_

_Burt stared at her, holding Kurt’s hand. He suspected that she had some idea. If that had been Kurt in that room instead of her little boy, he didn’t even want to think about that possibility._

_“I um. I hope your son pulls through,” said Burt. Mostly because there shouldn’t have to be anymore death coming from this accident._

_“Thank you.” Her voice quivered, like she was on the verge of tears. Burt scooped up his son into his arms, and got out of there as fast as he could. He just needed to get away from the hospital. Get away and think about anything but how bad it all hurt._

…………………………..

“I can’t believe it,” said Kurt. “I can’t believe Blaine was the boy from the accident.”

Burt nodded, looking to see Kurt’s reaction. He looked stunned.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” asked Kurt softly. Burt shrugged and scratched at the back of his neck.

“I guess I just thought you’d either figure it out, or I would be able to forget about it. And I thought I had, but coming here and seeing how he is, it’s all just a bad reminder, you know? Like. How is he okay and you’re in here? Why did he survive while your mother died? I know it’s not right, Kurt. I know I’m not doing right by you by giving him a hard time. Your mom would probably slap me silly if she was here right now.” Burt sighed and reached for his son’s hand, patting it softly. 

“I know why Blaine survived that accident,” said Kurt, his voice breaking like he was on the verge of tears.

“Why’s that?” asked Burt.

“Blaine says an angel once told him to be strong, because his soulmate needed his love. I thought he was just being sweet but. But I think it’s true. I think it was going to be either mom or him, and she let it be him.” Kurt’s lip quivered as he spoke, his eyes turned red wet with tears.

Burt sniffled a little, fighting back his own tears. Now that Kurt was safe and awake, he felt the heavy burden of guilt weighing on his heart for the way he had treated Blaine these last four years. He finally understood. It was never really about Blaine, himself, or even his illness. He wasn’t drawing attention to himself the way Burt had accused, he was drawing attention to his love for Kurt and how painful it had been to be forced to leave Kurt’s side. Blaine was just as afraid of losing Kurt as Burt was, if not more.

“I’m sorry, Kurt,” said Burt. “All these years I’ve tried to be a good dad.”

“And you have. You’re the best dad.”

“I’ve just tried to look out for you, and support you. But I failed. With your relationship, I failed.”

“Dad…you’re amazing. And you had your reasons. I understand that now. And now you understand why I love him so much, and why I would be willing to go through this,” he paused to motion to his face, “a million times over to protect him.”

Burt nodded, sighed, then nodded again.

“And dad. I think it’s not me you should apologize to. I think you need to apologize to him.” 

Kurt looked up at him expectantly, and Burt let out the breath he didn’t know he was holding. Blaine’s mother’s words were gnawing at him. She was so willing to take away the boy that Kurt loved so much, all because of him. He couldn’t let it happen. Burt put on a smile for his son, not wanting him to know what was bothering him.

“I’ll make it better. As long as you promise not to get yourself into any more trouble like this and worry me sick,” said Burt.

Kurt smiled back and relaxed in his hospital bed. “Deal.”

…………………………..

The door to the loft rolled open as Burt slipped inside, a six pack of beer in a paper bag tucked under his arm. Kurt wouldn’t be coming home until the next morning, so his son had told him to go to the loft and try to get some rest. It was quiet for how many people were there. Santana and Rachel were in the kitchen area. Jack was in the living room. And Burt guessed that Viv and Blaine were behind the closed curtain to the bedroom. 

The girls in the kitchen greeted him with smiles and questions about how Kurt was doing. He answered them all as best he could. Kurt was doing fine. Recovering well. He would be on his feet and home tomorrow morning. Once their questions were sufficiently answered, he pulled the six pack out of the bag and tucked it in the fridge, then grabbed two cans and walked into the living room. He handed one to Jack, who looked up at him with an unreadable expression, then took it. Burt sat beside him, and they both opened their beers.

“I uh. Wanted to apologize. For the things I said about Blaine,” said Burt after a few moments of silence.

“Well I popped you pretty good, so we can call it even,” said Jack. He took a long drink from his beer and turned his attention back to the news on TV. 

Burt nodded but didn’t say anything, and the tension eased slightly after that. They sat for a long while, casually commenting on some news story or another. Whether they liked it or not, they were family, brought together by their boys and they would have to get along for them. Eventually, Viv emerged from the bedroom area and walked over them, sitting on the arm of the couch with her arm around her husband’s shoulders.

“He’s resting now. Finally calm. I promised him he would get to see Kurt tomorrow. In an hour I’ll giving him his medicine and then he can sleep until morning,” said Viv. She yawned, exhausted by the day’s events. It had been two years since she had been Blaine’s full time caregiver, and she had almost forgotten how tough it could be. 

“You shouldn’t take him back with you,” said Burt. “I haven’t always been fair with him, and I’d like to apologize to him for that. While he’s still awake.”

Viv looked over at him with a little half smile. “I wasn’t really going to take him back with me. Don’t worry about that. I just needed something to get you thinking.” She pushed herself to her feet and motioned for him to follow her. “Don’t be too long. I’m not sure how much he’ll process right now. But as long as you speak kindly, he’ll get the gist of the message.”

Burt nodded and set his beer down, then followed her to the bedroom. They entered through the curtain and it was dark. There was a black sheet over the window, blocking out the light from outside. A lumpy mass was in the middle of the bed, under the covers. Viv sat on the edge of the bed and pushed back the blankets enough to reveal Blaine’s head. 

“Hey sweetie,” she said softly. Blaine mumbled something unintelligible. “Kurt’s dad has something to say. Can you listen?”

Another mumble could be heard, and then Viv stood and turned to leave and give them some privacy. She paused beside Burt long enough to say, “I’m glad you’ve finally had a change of heart. Blaine actually really likes you.”

Burt was surprised by this as he watched the shifting mass of blankets as Blaine tried to sit up. A moment later, they were alone. He walked over and took a seat on the edge of the bed where Viv had just been. He cleared his throat softy and looked at Blaine, who blinked at him sleepily, smiling softly.

“Hi Mr. Hummel,” Blaine said, his voice raspy from his episode earlier. 

“Hey. I, um. I wanted to say…I haven’t always been fair to you. You’re so good to Kurt. And for Kurt. And he loves you, so that’s good enough for me. I’m sorry I didn’t realize it before. I’m sorry for a lot of things. You’re a great guy, Blaine. Remember that, no matter what,” said Burt. 

Blaine’s smiled widened for just a second, then he looked down, a faint blush on his cheeks. “Thanks, Mr. Hummel. ‘M sorry too. Kurt should, Kurt deserves someone better. But I, I love him. I hope that’s enough, for, for you too.”

Burt offered him a smile in return and patted his back lightly. “Of course, buddy. Anyone who loves Kurt that much as got to be pretty okay in my book.”

Blaine yawned in reply, and Burt chuckled. 

“Alright. You better get some sleep. Tomorrow’s a big day. Kurt’s coming home.” Burt gave Blaine another pat on the back and stood. Whether Blaine was just too exhausted to get excited or what, Burt wasn’t sure, but he was already falling asleep before Burt had even finished his sentence.

…………………………..

Blaine felt the bed dip beside him again, and groaned softly. He loved Mama but she was _hovering_. His head was never gonna get any better if she kept waking him up just to tell him someone wanted to talk, or that Kurt wasn’t home yet. He whimpered softly and pulled his blankets tighter around his body. He missed Kurt. He missed Kurt so bad!

He missed Kurt so bad it made the aching in his head worse than ever. It pounded all over like someone was hitting him with a dozen hammers, and he just wished it would stop. But he knew it wouldn’t stop, not for a while. His headaches never stopped easily. They only went away when something made him forget, or he let them run their course. He hoped Kurt would come home soon to make it go away.

The soft press of a kiss on his forehead startled him slightly and he winced, but then he froze. He knew that kiss, those lips, the warm feel of breath against his face. Slowly, he blinked his eyes open and looked up at the source of the kiss. Kurt’s face was there, smiling at him from behind his bruises and cuts. But Blaine didn’t see them, all he saw was Kurt. His Kurt. His beautiful, perfect, wonderful, lovely Kurt. 

He let out a little noise, the only way he could really express his joy at the moment, then pushed the covers off and threw his arms around Kurt to hug him tight.

“Blaine, no!” Kurt yelped, pushing him back. Instantly Blaine moved away as fast as he could, almost tumbling off the bed. “Hey, hey, it’s okay…” Kurt reached for Blaine’s hand, coaxing him back. “You just gotta be careful. I have a couple broken ribs.”

Blaine whimpered and reached for Kurt, his hand trembling and just barely touching his chest. He just wanted Kurt, wanted to feel his arms wrapped around him, wanted to cuddle with him until the end of time. Kurt took his other hand and squeezed it tight, then tugged him close enough to wrap his arms around Blaine loosely. Blaine curled up and pressed his face into Kurt’s shoulder, breathing him in.

“Kurt…” he whimpered. “Kurt…I was, I was so scared. I, scared and cried, they take me away and I thought, I was scared I lose you.”

“Never,” whispered Kurt, kissing his face gently. “I am so sorry, Blaine. I should never have got myself involved in that fight. I did it somehow thinking it would protect you, when all it did was hurt you.”

“’m just scared. I can’t lose my Kurt. Love you _so much._ ”

Kurt nodded and stroked his arms gently. “I love you too, sweetheart. I love you so much, too. And I promise you’ll never lose me. Everything’s gonna be okay. I promise.”

Blaine nodded and curled up closer to Kurt without actually pressing up against him. Kurt was home now and he promised, and Blaine’s headache was starting to fade. The last few days had been the worst Blaine had experienced in years, but now he knew that things would be okay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was another one tough to get through, but I hope you enjoyed it. Thank you for reading.


	8. Blaine is the Best Man

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cooper gets married and Blaine is the best man, meanwhile Santana and Rachel are growing up, and Kurt doesn't approve.

_April 20, 2017_

“Ouch! Kurt!” Blaine batted at his boyfriend’s hands, wincing as Kurt accidentally poked him with a pin on his inner thigh. 

“Sorry! I don’t have much experience tailoring for someone so damn wiggly. Hold still!” Kurt put his hands on Blaine’s hips and positioned him so he was standing perfectly still and straight. Blaine huffed and glared down at him. Tailoring this tux was not as easy as Kurt had hoped it would be. They had been at it for forty-five minutes now and Blaine was quickly losing his patience.

“Why can’t you just buy pants that fit? Why do you, why do they have to be fixed?” Blaine asked, unable to help wiggling away from Kurt as his fingers tickled his leg. 

“Because even though I gave him the exact specifications, your brother knows shit about ordering a fitted tux. The pants are too long in the leg and too short in the crotch and it’s up to me to fix it, as always,” ranted Kurt as he accidentally stuck Blaine with another pin.

“ _Kurt_! That one was too close!” Blaine whined and stepped back. Kurt was working way too close to his more sensitive areas and the last thing he needed was to be poked with a pin there.

“Alright, alright. Just a couple more and we’re done,” promised Kurt. He quickly put the last few pins in place, then commanded that Blaine stay still long enough for him to carefully remove the pants. “Thank you for your cooperation. Now go get dressed. This is my final NYADA showcase, and I need my beautiful boyfriend looking…well. Beautiful.”

Blaine nodded and hurried away from Kurt, not wanting to be near him as long as he wielded the pins. He headed across the loft in nothing but his underwear, gaining an eye roll from Santana, who was getting dressed in the living room while Rachel hogged the bathroom. Blaine blushed and hurried faster into his bedroom area. He went straight to the rack of clothes in the corner. Half were his and half were Kurt’s, since Kurt usually picked things out. Blaine was getting better, though. He was able to consistently pick clothes that Kurt approved of. 

He decided to go not too colorful, since colors were hardest to match. He went for a pair of navy slacks, a white button-down shirt with tiny blue dots all over, a navy vest and matching jacket, and a dark and light blue striped bow tie. He loved the way bow ties looked and felt around his neck, and after many months of effort on both his and Kurt’s part, he finally learned how to tie one. 

“Rachel, get out of the damn bathroom!” Santana could be heard yelling, banging her fist against the bathroom door. Blaine cringed at the sound of her yelling. It was something he would never like, when people raised their voices. It made his skin crawl, and he didn’t want the yelling to be directed toward him.

“Santana, please,” said Kurt, as if he could sense Blaine’s discomfort from across the loft.

“She’s not the only one who has to go in there!” said Santana. “I am getting really sick of sharing our _one bathroom_ with her.”

“Please get along,” sighed Kurt. _For Blaine’s sake_ was unspoken, but understood. 

Blaine tried to ignore their conversation and focus on himself. He looked in the mirror and straightened his bow tie, then reached for the bottle of hair gel he kept in the room, just in case the bathroom was full. Squirting entirely too much into his hand, he began the process of smoothing down his curls. He liked the way Kurt did it better, smoothing down the side and styling the front in a little wave, but he could never get it right. Instead, he just settled for making sure everything was flat and put together. 

“Hey.” Kurt’s voice made him jump a little, but then he relaxed and smiled.

“Hi. Almost ready,” said Blaine.

“You look good, and you did it all by yourself. Good job.” Kurt paused to kiss his cheek before going to the rack of clothes, pulling out his chosen outfit for the showcase. Blaine tried not to stare as Kurt started to undress, unable to help the way his eyes were drawn to the lean muscles of Kurt’s chest and abs. 

Kurt chuckled softly when he caught him staring, then slipped on his undershirt and stepped over to Blaine, wrapping his arms around him from behind. Blaine’s breath hitched as he felt Kurt’s strong hands splayed flat along his tummy and chest. He leaned back against Kurt and felt the warmth and solidness of his body. Everything about Kurt drove him crazy. The feel of his muscles strong and surrounding Blaine all around, the smell of him and the sweet spicy cologne he wore, the warmth of him bleeding through Blaine’s clothes, making him almost too hot but not enough for him to ever want it to stop.

“I love you,” whispered Kurt, right in Blaine’s ear. Blaine let out a little whimper and turned in Kurt’s arms so their chests were pressed together.

“Love you more,” said Blaine, nuzzling his nose along Kurt’s jaw and chasing it with gentle kisses. He loved this little game that he and Kurt had started playing in the last couple months. Usually it led to things that involved them taking clothes off, but something told Blaine this wasn’t going to go that far today. 

“I love _you_ more,” said Kurt playfully, leaning down to kiss and suck gently at the skin behind Blaine’s ear. It made Blaine’s knees weaken and he leaned fully against Kurt. 

“No…I love you more.” Blaine pushed his hand up under Kurt’s tank top, running along the lean muscles of his back, then pushed his hips forward. Kurt pulled back a step after that, giving Blaine a quick kiss on the lips and smiling. 

“Impossible,” said Kurt. “But I’ll let you win today, but only because we gotta stop or else everyone in New York will see just how much you love me.”

Blaine blushed and hurried over to sit on the edge of the bed and wait patiently for Kurt to finish getting dressed. He placed his hands awkwardly over his lap, willing his arousal to go down. Eventually, once Kurt was dressed and the whole loft was filled with hurried “ _We have to go now_!” and “ _If we miss that train because of you, Rachel_!” and “ _Blaine, don’t forget to grab my bag_ ”. Blaine was instantly distracted with trying to keep up with his friends. 

The next thing he knew, they were on the subway headed to NYADA. Kurt and Rachel were both performing tonight. She was dressed her in best, glaring at the less cleanly members of the train car, and Kurt held on to Blaine’s arm tight as they stood, having given their seats to an elderly couple upon Blaine’s insistence. Kurt was buzzing with excitement beside him. This was his final performance as a NYADA student. In just a few short weeks, he would finally graduate from college.

Lots of things were happening in the next few weeks. Cooper was getting married, Kurt and Rachel were graduating from college, and Santana had finally gotten her acting break on television and was filming a small role on a New York based crime show. Blaine was so happy for everyone, and to be involved in their lives. Even if he sometimes felt like everyone was growing and moving up in the world and he was still just the same old Blaine.

“Hey.” Kurt whispered right in his ear, pressing a tiny kiss to the shell of it. Blaine hummed softly and looked up at him. “You’re gonna be good for me tonight, right?”

Blaine nodded eagerly. He always wanted to be his very best for Kurt.

“If you can sit still all night for me, we can finish the game we were playing earlier,” Kurt said, still whispering. Blaine’s eyes widened a little and he nodded quickly. Kurt smiled and slipped his arm around Blaine’s waist, holding him close tightly.

They stayed like that until it was their stop, then got off the subway and started to walk the rest of the way to the school. Once there, they met up with Veronica and Elliott, who had come to be supportive of their friends. They both gave Blaine a quick hug and everyone headed inside. 

Kurt whispered in his ear all the names of the important people that were there to watch him perform. People who could get him real jobs in real Broadway plays, more than the brief stint as a chorus member he had last summer. Blaine nodded like he understood, but their names and their importance went over his head. He just smiled and followed Kurt and the others to a table up front, where he was invited to sit beside a dark skinned woman in a vibrant purple blouse.

Kurt told him to sit still and take small sips from the bottle of water that was offered to him, so that he wouldn’t have to go to the bathroom in the middle of the performance. Blaine nodded and insisted on giving him a kiss for good luck. Once Kurt was gone, the woman turned to look at him, her eyes glancing over him up and down before deciding to offer him a tiny upturn of her lip. Blaine recognized her as Madam Tibideaux. She was very important for Kurt’s success, so he sat up straight and offered her a smile in return.

She didn’t speak to him, she rarely did. The first time he had met her, the first sentence she spoke to him had reduced him to tears. After Kurt explained to her about his special circumstances, she had been apologetic and kind to him since. But there was always still the need to impress her. Especially for Kurt.

Rachel performed first, a stunning two song set featuring nothing but her voice and the piano. Blaine had practiced with her a million times at home, so he hummed along and smiled. Next a girl danced through two songs, and Blaine was mesmerized by the movements and flexibility of her body. Although he was pretty sure he could bend that well if he really tried. The next person sang and danced, then another dancer, and finally Kurt. 

Blaine was on the edge of his seat for Kurt’s performance. When Kurt sang, he was so beautiful. He always chose to perform songs that had such deep meaning, and the emotions were clear on his face. Blaine loved seeing Kurt that open and honest in his performance, especially when he was singing songs about love. Then he knew Kurt was singing about him, and it made the happy butterflies in his tummy flutter.

Kurt’s first song was over and Blaine had realized he lost himself for a moment. He shook his head and focused, focused hard and kept his eyes, ears, and brain focused directly on Kurt. By the time the second song was over, Blaine was so proud he nearly bounced out of his seat clapping so hard. When Kurt exited the stage after a quick bow, Madam Tibideaux turned in her seat to face Blaine.

“How do you think he did?” she asked. Blaine’s eyes widened.

“He was, um, he was so good. So, amazing and, and beautiful and he sings with so much…passion and, and love and I love him and I loved it. He’s gonna be a star,” said Blaine, punctuating his response with a nod. Madam Tibideaux contemplated his response, then nodded before turning back around. Blaine hoped he said the right thing and didn’t get Kurt in trouble.

A few more people performed after Kurt, and when it was all over Kurt came back to their table to receive hugs and compliments from all their friends. Blaine loved seeing the smile on Kurt’s face, it made him happier than anything in the world. Even cronuts.

…………………………..

Blaine must have said something right earlier that night. His first clue was when they got home much later and Kurt kissed him with a hard, passionate kiss and then pulled back to tell him “I don’t know what you said to Madam Tibideaux, but you are amazing”. His second clue happened exactly five minutes after that comment, where he found himself laying on the bed with his slacks and underwear thrown halfway across the room and Kurt’s mouth wrapped around his hard cock.

His eyes nearly rolled back in his head as his mouth dropped open to let out a low, rumbly moan. Kurt’s head bobbed up and down, sucking hard around the head of his cock with each upstroke. He moved quickly, pausing every few movements to swirl his tongue around the head and swipe across the slit. 

“Oooh…Kurt…” Blaine groaned and slipped his hand down into Kurt’s hair, fisting it gently as he guided Kurt’s head up and down. His hips rocked up gently on instinct, and he fought hard to not thrust up hard into Kurt’s mouth. Kurt stroked one hand over his hip and brought the other up to wrap around his cock, stroking it as he pulled his mouth off. He kissed his way down the shaft and sucked Blaine’s balls one at a time into his mouth, rolling them gently with his tongue and drawing a loud, low moan from him. 

Blaine couldn’t help the way his hips pushed up, slowly fucking Kurt’s loose fist. Kurt looked up at him and smiled, licking his lips in a way that drove Blaine crazy. He whined and used the hand in Kurt’s hair to try to pull him back to his cock. Kurt chuckled and stroked him slowly, pressing a gentle kiss to the tip before wrapping his lips around him and taking him all the way down to the base. 

“Kurt…ooh yes!” Blaine’s body arched as he pushed up toward the warm heat of his mouth. He was already getting close. Kurt sucked hard as he pulled up slowly. He seemed to sense that Blaine was close, bobbing his head a few more times before pulling back enough that his lips were wrapped around the sensitive head and his hand stroked him quickly until Blaine cried out and came in Kurt’s mouth.

Kurt hummed as he stroked Blaine through his orgasm, then swallowed around him before pulling off. He gently licked his cock clean as it softened in his hand, then stopped when Blaine let out a little whine. Kurt moved back up his body and kissed his lips gently, then laid beside him on his side, watching him.

“What…what was that for?” asked Blaine, panting softly as he came down from the high of his orgasm. Kurt smiled and reached up to put a hand on Blaine’s chest, right over his heart. There was no expectation of reciprocation between them, which Blaine was thankful for at the moment. He wasn’t sure he could remember how to move.

“Madam Tibideaux told me she wasn’t sure who she was going to give top honors to at first, but then someone very special told her how highly they thought of me,” said Kurt. Blaine looked up at him, not sure what he meant. He momentarily forgot about his short conversation with her earlier that evening. “I saw her talking to you after my performance. I don’t know what you said, but I love you so much.”

Blaine grinned, then yawned tiredly as he laid his head back against the pillow and blinked up at Kurt sleepily. “I love you more,” he said, then his eyes fluttered closed and he drifted off to sleep.

…………………………..

Rachel came barreling through the loft door and nearly threw her things on the floor inside the door. She was excited. She hadn’t been this excited since she first got her acceptance letter to NYADA. Quickly she found Kurt in the living room, just getting off the phone while flipping through a pages in thick binders and simultaneously dressing Blaine in his newly fitted tux for Cooper’s wedding.

“Kurt!” Rachel hurried into the living room. She paused to give Blaine a quick kiss on the cheek, then turned her attention fully to Kurt. “Kurt, we need to talk. Like. Now.”

“Can’t you see I’m a little busy, Rach? I have to finish the last details for my final acting project and book plane tickets for my parents and get Blaine ready for Cooper and Gina’s rehearsal dinner tonight. Surely whatever it is can wait.” Kurt snapped as he stood up and rather roughly tugged on Blaine’s jacket to make sure it fit right. Blaine squirmed and batted Kurt’s hands away.

“Go talk. Things will wait,” said Blaine. Rachel could tell he was just desperate for a minute to rest among all of Kurt’s clutter. She smiled at him; he never ceased to make her smile in moments like that. She was really, really going to miss that. 

Kurt let out a huff and straightened himself so he was fully standing, then gave Blaine a quick kiss on the cheek. “I guess I could use a cup of coffee anyway. You can sit.”

Blaine sat and Kurt left him, following Rachel into the kitchen area. Kurt put on the coffee pot and grabbed a muffin from the box Veronica had brought over earlier that morning. Sitting at the table, he let out a long sigh and looked across at Rachel, who sat down as well. 

“So. What’s up?” asked Kurt.

“You know how they’re making the movie version of Wicked?” Rachel asked, practically bouncing in her seat with excitement. 

“Yes…” 

“Well…one of the casting directors was at our showcase the other night and today he called and said I was so fantastic he wanted to meet with me this afternoon before his flight left for L.A. and he wanted to have me audition. So I did, I went and I sang Defying Gravity because let’s face it, you may have flubbed that high note but I am still amazing at that song, and then I did a bit of a reading for him and he _loved_ me! He loved me, Kurt! I’m going to play Elphaba!” The more she spoke, the faster her words became until she ended with an excited squeal. 

“Oh my god! Rachel, that’s incredible!” The two of them jumped up, hugging as they jumped excitedly. Rachel let out another little squeal of joy as they parted, clapping her hands together.

“I know I always wanted Broadway, Kurt, but this is better than I could have dreamed of. A real movie of one of my favorite musicals. Of course, I’ll have to be moving to L.A. now and I can start living like a real movie star.” She began to ramble off a little before she noticed how Kurt’s smile had quickly faded. “What?”

“You’re leaving,” stated Kurt. Rachel dropped her hands and nodded.

“Yeah…I have to. Most of the filming will take place in L.A., and I don’t want to have my home be across the country. It’s not practical…and who knows what opportunities might come next…” Rachel sat back down in her chair, and Kurt plopped down in his own seat.

“No, you’re right. You’re right. It’s just…Blaine loves having you here. We’ve lived here together for four years. It’ll be a huge adjustment for him. For all of us. It’s one less person to be with Blaine,” said Kurt.

“I thought about him. And I realized I’ve been holding on to him ever since Finn died. I use him as an excuse not to date guys or do things I really want to. I’ve even started pulling back on my career ambitions. This opportunity just presented itself to me, Kurt. I cannot pass it up.” Rachel looked at him, hoping he would understand. Kurt nodded, but there was still clearly concern in his eyes. “Blaine is going to be fine. He’ll miss me, but it’s not like I’m never coming back.”

“I know,” sighed Kurt. “It’s not just Blaine, though. I will miss you, too.”

Rachel smiled. “Awwww Kurt…” She got up and wrapped her arms around his neck, hugging him tight. “It’ll be okay. And even if I meet some handsome Hollywood guy, I’ll promise Blaine that he can be my plus one to the movie premiere.”

That made Kurt smile, and he hugged her back. “You promise you’ll tell him? If you’re gonna do this, you have to be the one to break his big ol’ heart.” 

Rachel nodded. “After the wedding, I’ll buy his love with a cronut and then break the news to him.”

Kurt laughed, then gave her another hug before fixing them both a cup of coffee. 

……………………………...

After three years of planning, fighting, arguing, more planning, time apart for jobs, and more planning, Cooper and Gina were getting married. Blaine had been waiting for this day since Cooper told him Gina said yes. His big brother was getting married! And Gina was officially going to be his big sister! 

The day had arrived and Blaine was particularly bouncy as Kurt worked on getting him dressed. Blaine’s hands were too shaky to do up all the stiff buttons of his shirt, so he let Kurt do all the work. He was even too excited for his thoughts to go all fuzzy each time Kurt’s fingers brushed his skin. Before he knew it, he was dressed and his hair was gelled and everyone was piling into an SUV cab that was waiting for them outside their building. Blaine held Kurt’s hand tight and smiled contently as he looked out the windows.

Blaine had a very important job today. He was Cooper’s best man. He had practiced it over and over the night before at the rehearsal. He had to walk down the aisle with Gina’s maid of honor – a fellow Rockette who towered over Blaine in her heels – and he had to hold onto the ring that Cooper was going to give Gina. He couldn’t mess up, not after all the planning Cooper and Gina had done to make the wedding _perfect_.

The best part of the wedding was that his whole family was going to be there! He was looking forward to seeing all his aunts and uncles and cousins and grandparents. Some of them weren’t particularly fond of him, but that was okay. Blaine knew everyone couldn’t always love everyone all the time. But Mama and Daddy were going to be there, and so were Kurt’s parents, so it was already perfect.

It took about an hour driving through the city to get to the venue, a classy ballroom that doubled as a place for weddings. The room next door would hold the reception as well. Once they arrived, Kurt, Blaine, Rachel, Santana, and Veronica all got out and headed inside. As friends of Blaine, they were all friends with Cooper by extension, so they were all invited to sit at the VIP table for the reception. 

There was still a lot of time before the wedding began, so everyone was milling about as people arrived. Blaine dragged Kurt through groups of people, pointing out notable relatives whose names he remembered, until he found Mama and Daddy talking to a couple people who Blaine didn’t know. 

“Mama!” Blaine hugged her tight. He had seen her the night before during the rehearsal, but she had been so busy helping get things ready that she hadn’t had time for him. He caught her by surprise, but eventually she hugged him back just as tight.

“Hello sweetheart,” she laughed and held him until he was ready to pull back. She smiled up at him and brought a hand up to cup his cheek. “Look at how handsome you are!”

Blaine blushed lightly and leaned forward to kiss her cheek. “Thank you, Mama. Kurt dressed me today.”

“Well he did a very good job,” she said. Then she noticed Kurt standing behind Blaine and motioned for him to come forward and give her a hug as well. “When are your parents coming, dear?”

“They should be getting off the plane now and are coming straight here. They won’t miss it, I promise,” said Kurt, kissing her cheek as he pulled back. 

“Good. Now if you could just…” Viv trailed off and looked somewhere behind Kurt, frozen with wide eyes. Suddenly, her eyes narrowed into the most frightening glared Kurt had ever seen on her face. “What is she doing here?” 

As if sensing his wife’s distress, Jack turned away from his conversation to see what she was looking at. 

“Oh no. Who invited her?” he asked, wrapping an arm around Viv’s waist to keep her from charging over in the direction of her glare. Both Kurt and Blaine looked to see who they were talking about. 

Blaine stiffened beside Kurt and gripped his hand tightly, and it took Kurt a minute to see the person they were talking about. Almost as if the crowd parted around her, Kurt spotted the woman whose face he would never forget. He remembered all those years ago, when he was eight – almost nine – years old in that courtroom, looking over at a miserable woman with her arm in a purple cast. The woman who had been driving the car that ran into his mom’s car and killed her. The woman who was responsible for Blaine’s brain damage. Blaine’s Aunt Genevieve.

She spotted them and tentatively made her way over to them. She looked nervous, but was clearly dressed her best and held a wedding invitation in her hand. Approaching them slowly, she held the invitation up.

“Before you say anything, I was invited,” she said. Viv looked like she was about ready to jump on the woman and rip her head off. Her unpleasant feelings were making Blaine clearly uncomfortable, as he shuffled a step behind Kurt and pressed up against him like a shield.

“By who?” Viv asked.

“By Cooper. We’ve been talking for years. Since I got out of prison. He was the only one who showed up to bring me home when I was released. He wanted me to be here,” Gen said to her sister.

“He’s always been the only one that didn’t blame you for what you did to Blaine,” spat Viv, her voice filled with hatred for the woman in front of her.

“Please, Vivienne. It’s been fourteen years. Can’t we put this aside for one day, for Cooper?” Gen asked, looking tired of hearing the same thing from her sister after so long. 

“Yes, but…” 

“Auntie Gen?” Blaine’s voice was small as he interrupted his mother. He peeked out from around Kurt and looked at her with his big hazel eyes. He hadn’t seen her since the day of the accident, and all he knew was that she went to jail because of “what she did”, even though no one really explained to Blaine what “what she did” was. He was pretty sure it was because she was driving the car, but he didn’t understand how that was enough to become “what she did” that made her deserve jail.

“Blainey?” Gen looked at him cautiously, mirroring his own wide-eyed gaze. She had hazel eyes just like Blaine’s, they had both inherited them from his grandmother, despite Viv having brown eyes. She inched toward him, like she couldn’t believe what she was seeing. “Oh, Blaine…honey, I can’t believe it’s you…you’re so grown up now.”

Blaine felt slightly awkward as he nodded and clutched Kurt’s arm tight. “I’m twenty-two,” he said. Then he added proudly, “And I work in the market, and I live with Kurt.”

There were tears welling up in Genevieve’s eyes as she looked him over, and then she glanced over at Kurt and froze. Kurt had remained silent, observing this exchange and trying to not let himself think _this is the woman who killed my mother_. 

“You look familiar,” she said. 

“I’m Kurt. Kurt Hummel,” he said, not offering his hand for her to shake. Instantly upon hearing his name, she brought up a hand to her mouth and gasped.

“Oh…oh my,” she whispered. 

“Alright, I think that’s enough.” Jack spoke up this time, stepping in to try to diffuse the discomfort. “If Cooper asked you here, then thank you for coming for him. I think we would all appreciate it, though, if you stayed as far away from the four of us as possible. This is supposed to be a happy day celebrating their love, not family drama time.”

As if she couldn’t stand to be near her sister any longer, Viv grabbed both Kurt’s and Blaine’s hands and dragged them away, leading them through the hall to a door that led to the rooms where everyone was getting ready for the ceremony. Cooper had a room of his own, where he was with two of his friends, chatting nervously as he looked at himself in a mirror, making sure everything was perfect. 

“Hello boys,” said Viv, in a falsely cheery voice. Blaine smiled upon seeing his brother, stumbling past his mother to go give Cooper a hug. 

“Hey,” said Cooper, laughing softly as he hugged his little brother tight. “How’s my best man?”

“Good, happy!” said Blaine, pulling back and smoothing out Cooper’s now wrinkled jacket. “You’re getting married!”

“Yeah I am! In just a little while, I’m gonna be married to the most beautiful, wonderful girl in the whole world. Except of course our gorgeous, eternally youthful mother,” said Cooper, smiling his brightest smile to Viv, who came over to give him a hug as well.

“You sure know how to tell a convincing lie,” she said dryly, patting his back before pulling away. She smiled and reached up to pat his face gently. “You look so handsome. I cannot believe my Cooper is getting married. There were times when I honestly thought this day would never come.”

“Hey!” Cooper laughed. “So I was a little slow to settle down. Better late than never, right?”

“I’m just glad you’re happy.” Viv kissed his cheek and reached for his hands, holding them in hers. She took a deep breath and glanced over at Blaine. “Kurt, can you take Blaine to the bathroom or something?”

“But Mama I don’t gotta…” Blaine began, but he was interrupted by Kurt’s hand on his arm.

“Hush, honey. Come with me.” Kurt tugged him gently back out of the room, and after a look from Viv, Cooper’s friends followed them out, leaving Viv and Cooper alone for a moment. 

Viv squeezed Cooper’s hands and looked up at him, tears making her eyes shine as she smiled proudly. 

“I love you so much,” she said. “You are an incredible man, and after everything we’ve been through as a family, I am so glad you’ve found happiness.”

Cooper smiled and leaned down to wrap her up in another hug. “Thank you so much, mom. For everything you’ve done for me since the day I was born. I know it wasn’t always easy for you and dad, being so young and having me. And then when Blaine was born, and then the accident. It was all hard, but you were the best mom.”

“You don’t have to thank me, silly,” said Viv. She kissed his cheek one more time and stepped back. “But you do have to explain why you invited her.”

Cooper rolled his eyes and sighed, turning away. “I knew you would be like this. Mom, she’s your sister. She’s part of my family, and I wanted her here. I know how you feel about her, but I don’t blame her for what happened. I wanted my aunt at my wedding and I don’t want to talk about it anymore.”

Viv looked up at him like she had a lot more to say, then she shook her head and folded her arms in front of her. “Fine. I’ll drop it. Just. Warn me next time, please?”

“Fine,” said Cooper. He adjusted his tie one more time and took a deep breath. There was a light knock on the door and Kurt poked his head into the room. 

“Hi. Sorry for the…Blaine is getting antsy, he wants to come back in,” said Kurt. Cooper motioned for them to come in. Blaine hurried into the room, looking excited and a little bit concerned.

“Hey Blainey,” said Cooper, smiling brightly at his little brother.

“Hey Coopy,” said Blaine, grinning in return. 

“The ceremony starts soon,” said Viv. “Kurt and I will go find our seats. You two behave.” 

She took Kurt’s arm and led him out of the room, so it was just Blaine and Cooper. Once the door closed behind them, Cooper took Blaine’s hand and tugged him over to the small couch along the wall of the room. The sat and faced each other. Cooper’s hands were shaking slightly from nerves, and Blaine placed both his hands on top of Cooper’s trying to stop the shaking.

“Blainey, I am so glad you’re my best man,” said Cooper, chuckling nervously.

“Are you scared? You look scared. Are you afraid to be married?” asked Blaine, looking concerned. He scooted closer slightly, shifting and unconsciously feeding off of Cooper’s discomfort.

“No, buddy. I’m not scared. I’m just nervous. I can’t wait to be married, it’s just a little nerve wracking because in just a few minutes, my whole life is gonna change. It’s no longer just going to be all about me,” said Cooper. Blaine made a face, like he didn’t understand.

“I don’t get it. You, your life is, has been about Gina too since you met her. Just like my life is me and Kurt, even though we, we aren’t married,” said Blaine. Cooper looked at him, really looked at him, then shook his head.

“You’re right. Damn. You know. You are the smartest guy I know,” said Cooper. He leaned forward to give Blaine a tight hug. Another knock on the door pulled them apart, and Cooper called for whoever it was to come in. It was Jack, coming to tell them it was time. Cooper took a deep breath and stood, then held out a hand to help Blaine up. 

“You’re getting married, Coop. It’s gonna be amazing,” said Blaine, smiling brightly up at him.

“Yeah. Yeah it is. C’mon Blainey. Let’s go.” The two of them left the room, and Cooper had never felt more ready for anything than he did at that moment.

…………………………..

The ceremony was beautiful, and Blaine had done everything just like he was supposed to. The whole time, while Cooper and Gina were getting married, he watched Kurt, sitting in the front row beside Mama. Kurt was watching him, too, smiling contently the whole time, and even giving him a little thumbs up once. After Cooper and Gina were married and it was time for the reception, they moved into the other room, where everyone found their spots at their tables. 

Blaine did not like it when he found out that he couldn’t sit beside Kurt. Kurt had a seat at a table near the front, with all their friends, but Blaine had to sit up front beside Cooper. He loved his brother, but all this wedding stuff was making him itch to be near Kurt and he wasn’t sure why. With a little whine, he separated from Kurt and took his seat at the wedding party table.

It wasn’t long before the happy couple returned, Cooper dressed slightly more casually, and Gina in a different, more breathable dress. After everyone got their food and was seated, Cooper nudged Blaine’s side and whispered that it was time for him to give the best man speech. Blaine froze and stared at him, wide-eyed. Speech? No one said anything about a speech!

Cooper had just laughed and told him he didn’t have to talk if he didn’t want to, and Cooper’s friends did all the talking while Blaine shrank into his chair, suddenly feeling very uncomfortable. He picked at his food while everyone else dissolved into conversation, keeping quiet as Cooper turned his attention to his new wife. When it was time for the first dance, Blaine couldn’t wait to get away from his table and to Kurt. 

He stayed by Kurt’s side, and it wasn’t long before Kurt was dragging him out on the dance floor for a slow dance. Wrapping his arms around Kurt’s waist, he rested his head against Kurt’s shoulder, nuzzling nose into Kurt’s neck. Kurt held him close, pressing a gentle kiss to the side of his head.

“I love you,” whispered Kurt.

Blaine hummed happily, holding on to Kurt a little tighter. The whole wedding was wonderful, even when he was a little uncomfortable at the head table. There was so much happiness and love in the air. Cooper and Gina were dancing, so were Mama and Daddy, and he could even see Santana and Veronica. And Blaine had his Kurt, holding him and whispering sweet words of love in his ear.

He wondered what it would be like if he was the one getting married. He could invite his whole family and they would all sit and watch as he and Kurt put rings on each other’s hands and showed everyone just how much they loved each other. Then they would be husbands, because they were both boys, and Kurt would have a smile on his face as wide as the one Gina had on her face right now. Blaine closed his eyes and let himself dream for a moment, dreaming of marrying Kurt. 

After all their years together, it was the first time Blaine had considered marriage. And suddenly, there wasn’t a single thing in the whole world he wanted more than to be married to Kurt. He just had to figure out how to make it happen.

………………………….

As they danced, Kurt held Blaine in his arms, feeling the warmth of him nestled close to Kurt’s body and the steady beating of his heart. He was envious of Cooper and Gina in so many ways. Despite so many obstacles in their lives, they were able to have this beautiful wedding and get married. He would never have that with Blaine. How could he? How could he ask Blaine to enter in to that kind of commitment, when he wasn’t even sure Blaine could comprehend what it means to be married? 

Kurt desired more than anything to hold on to Blaine for the rest of his life, to have a real life with him and maybe even a family someday. But Blaine was twenty-two years old and he read at an eighth grade level and could barely fix himself breakfast in the morning. He was beautiful and full of pure love, but marriage was so much more than what they had now. Marriage was beyond the physical and emotional, the only two things Blaine could really understand. 

He only wished his problems were as simple as legality. He _could_ marry Blaine. He could marry Blaine and it would be legal anywhere. But if he was going to marry Blaine, Blaine would have to be the one to ask him. Blaine would have to take that step and show that he understood, that he was ready, that he wanted it. 

Until then, Kurt was happy the way things were. He had his beautiful Blaine and he was thankful for that. Even if he never wore a ring on his finger, just being with Blaine was enough for him.

……………………………….

Santana was on a romance high. She hadn’t felt this…this _satisfied_ since she had been with Brittany. She had gone home with Veronica after the wedding – she did not want to have to listen to Kurt and Blaine get it on – and they had the most fantastic date night ever. They stopped and had dinner and sat in the tiny corner table of the most romantic restaurant on the block, and held hands over the table as they ate. Then they went home to Veronica’s and their night was amazing.

She didn’t want to leave. And Veronica didn’t want her to leave.

So Veronica had asked her not to leave. Like. Ever. She wanted her to move in with her. And Santana wanted to. She really did. 

On the outside, love and relationships were just another evil to be conquered to her, but on the inside she craved that kind of emotional connection. With Veronica, she felt it in ways she never had before. She was a real, honestly, open lesbian woman who wanted a committed relationship with Santana. After years together, she was ready. She was ready to give this to herself. She was going to move in with Veronica.

There was just one problem. Blaine.

Santana got home to the loft and was surprised to find Kurt alone. She figured he would still be in bed with Blaine after a long night of constant gross noisy gay sex. She looked all around the loft and saw no one but Kurt, sitting on the couch watching some weird old black and white movie she would never understand.

“Hey,” she said as she came over and plopped down beside him.

“Have a good night?” Kurt asked, not even looking over at her.

“Yup,” said Santana. “Veronica asked me to move in.”

There was silence for a moment, and Kurt’s expression didn’t change as he replied.

“What did you say?”

“I said yes.”

There was silence again before Kurt stood up and folded his arms in front of his chest, walking over to the window. Santana watched him curiously.

“You can’t do this. Not now. You can’t leave us. Blaine needs you. I need you.” Kurt spoke quietly, his voice quivering with emotion. Then he turned back to face her and let his arms fall. “Rachel’s leaving us too. That’s where they are. She’s taking Blaine out so she can break the news to him.”

Santana sighed. Of course. Leave it to Rachel Berry to have the worst timing on the planet to up and leave. But she needed this. She was getting too old to be babysitting Blaine all the time. She was at the prime of her life, a career ahead of her, and a stable relationship blooming. She stood up and faced Kurt.

“I’m sorry, Kurt, but I have to do this. I’ve lived here with you and Blaine and Rachel for four years. I need my own space in a real apartment. I need a schedule based on things I want, instead of based on watching Blaine when it’s convenient for you. I love him, he is so special to me, but I need room to grow and I’m not getting that here. And let’s be honest, Blaine could use some room to grow as well. Think of all he could do here with me and Rachel gone,” said Santana. Kurt didn’t look convinced.

“Fine. Go. It doesn’t matter anyway. Just abandon Blaine, after all the trust he’s put in you,” snapped Kurt.

“I’m not abandoning anybody!” Santana raised her voice, instantly pissed that Kurt would even say such a thing. Without Blaine around, she could let her rage run free. “If you loved him so fucking much you would find a way to take care of him instead of dumping him off on me every day! You’re such a fucking hypocrite sometimes! It’s not like I’m moving across the country, I’m moving down the fucking block!”

She knew she was right when Kurt didn’t respond. He looked down and folded his arms again, then shook his head.

“You’re right,” he conceded. “I’m sorry. I just…everyone is moving on. It’s hard on Blaine, to see everyone growing up and moving on.”

“You can’t shelter him, Kurt. This is the way life is. Change is good. It’ll give him room to grow up just like the rest of us. He can learn to take care of himself, and he can have some space of his own. It will be good,” said Santana, softening her voice a little. Even if Kurt didn’t like it and never spoke to her again, she was still doing this. As much as she loved Blaine, she had to do this for her. 

“Fine,” said Kurt. “But you’ve got to be the one to tell him.”

Santana stared at him for a moment, then sighed. “Fine. Deal.”

…………………........

Two weeks later, Santana and Rachel were both gone. The loft felt so empty without them, and Blaine didn’t know what they were going to do with all the empty space. Rachel’s room was empty, and Santana’s space was vacant. The loft was so big when it was just Kurt and Blaine. Kurt had tried to convince Blaine of all the positive things about living just the two of them, but Blaine wasn’t really seeing any of them yet.

Now they were on the couch, cuddled up together under a blanket, a Law and Order marathon playing quietly on the television. Kurt stroked the bare skin of Blaine’s arm absently, waiting for Blaine to relax into him. Blaine’s body was tense as his mind worked through the events of the day and the shock of the emptiness. 

“Kurt?” asked Blaine, his voice tiny and barely there. 

“Yes, honey?”

“Does this mean we can have sex on the couch now?”

With a rather ungraceful snort, Kurt couldn’t hold back his laughter. It bubbled out of him and pulled Blaine tighter into his arms, finally feeling the tension go from his muscles as he melted against Kurt’s body.

“Yes,” laughed Kurt, coming down from his little fit of giggles. “We can have sex anywhere we want now.” 

Blaine smiled up at him, whether it was from his response or his laughter, Kurt wasn’t sure.

“Okay,” said Blaine before he leaned up and pressed a gentle kiss to Kurt’s lips. It didn’t take long for it to progress into something more. For the first time in the four years they had lived in the loft, they had sex somewhere other than their bedroom. Blaine found it so exhilarating that when they finished and he was boneless and satisfied in Kurt’s arms, he couldn’t even remember he was sad to begin with.

 _Yes_ , Kurt thought later on that night, _everything is definitely going to be okay_.


	9. Blaine Asks A Very Important Question

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Blaine needs to ask Kurt a very important question, if only Kurt wasn't so gosh darn busy.

_April 8, 2018_

“Blaine Devon Anderson.”

Miranda’s voice startled Blaine as he was stocking soup cans on the shelf. He let out a squeak and dropped a can of chicken soup, then panicked slightly as he scrambled to pick it up. She chuckled softly and grabbed up the can first.

“Hey. Relax. See? Not even a dent.” She held it out to him and he took it, his hand shaking as he placed it on the shelf, eyeing her cautiously. 

“What you want?” he asked, resuming his job carefully, glancing at her every few seconds to make sure she wouldn’t doing anything to scare him again.

“Why didn’t you tell me today was your birthday?” She put her hands on her hips and looked at him expectantly. He shrugged and put the last can from the box on the shelf.

“It’s not a big deal,” said Blaine as he folded up the box and tucked it under his arm. “Kurt is, we’re not doing anything for, for it. He’s busy. I think he, maybe he forgot. It’s just a birthday.”

He shrugged again and pushed past her, heading to the storeroom. She followed him closely, then helped him carry boxes of fresh apples out to the produce section.

“Your boyfriend _forgot_ your birthday? And this is the man you’re thinking of proposing to?” Miranda looked at him, holding up a box for him as he started to sort through the apples. 

“He’s busy. It’s okay. Broadway is, is important to him. It’s his first big show. Big, big show. I forgive him this time.” Blaine shrugged again and gently placed apples out, filling the empty spots on the display. Miranda watched him as he concentrated fully on his job. 

“You’re important too,” she said, folding her arms in front of her. “This is why you’ve been working like twice as many hours the last couple weeks, isn’t it? Because you need something to do while Kurt’s too busy for you?”

“No! No. I work for the money. I’m saving to buy the ring, so I can propose,” said Blaine. He picked up the boxes again and headed back to the store room, more trying to get away from her than anything. Ever since Kurt had landed a leading role on Broadway, his rehearsal schedule had taken up more of his time than anyone had anticipated. After a couple months, Blaine’s friends were starting to notice the toll it was taking on him.

“And let me guess. After this nine hour shift, you don’t get to go back to your home to spend time with your boyfriend, who is supposed to be your caregiver. You get to go to your brother’s place and wait for Kurt to get you at like midnight or something. Don’t pretend like you don’t hate this.” Miranda followed him again, and once they were in the storeroom, he finally stopped trying to get away and he looked up at her tiredly.

“I only need five hundred to get the ring I picked,” he said. “Then I’ll work less.”

“That’s beside the point,” she told him. She grabbed his arm, tugging him to face her, then forced him to look her in the eye. “We’re friends, right?” 

Blaine nodded.

“As your friend, I’m telling you that Kurt needs to be reminded of what is important. That you are what is important,” she said. Blaine nodded again and sighed, looking down, defeated.

“Right,” he said. “He will when I propose. He’ll remember.”

Miranda rolled her eyes and let him go. “You’re hopeless. Kurt can do no wrong in your eyes. He forgot your birthday! You’ve been together for _seven years_ and he forgot your birthday!” 

“He’s busy!” Blaine raised his voice, something Miranda had never heard him do. “Just stop being so, being so mean about him! I love him and I don’t care if he forgot, he’s, he’s busy!”

He pushed past her again and left the room. This time, she didn’t follow. She sighed and shook her head. Sometimes Blaine was impossible. And for the last couple months he was tired and overworked and Kurt was too busy to see the signs. Blaine couldn’t handle even the smallest amount of stress, and if someone didn’t do something soon, he was going to have a breakdown.

…………………………..

Blaine spent the remainder of his extra long shift bagging groceries. He was a lot better at it now that he’d been doing it for a few years. He could bag things quickly and he almost never dropped anything. Rarely people called him names or made fun of him anymore, and he was trusted with more jobs around the store. It was nice to be recognized and rewarded for his progress and growth. 

He checked the time and saw it was six, then he finished up bagging the last of the groceries before going to the break room to clock out. Then he gathered his things and pulled out his phone. After Santana and Rachel had moved out and Blaine was left with only Kurt to care for him, he had spent a lot more time learning how it functioned. Although, it didn’t really have much use when he knew Kurt’s phone was off during rehearsal anyway. He texted Cooper to say he was ready to go home now, and received a reply almost immediately.

Once Blaine got outside the store, he didn’t find Cooper waiting for him, though. Gina stood there with a smile.

“Where’s Cooper?” asked Blaine, looking around curiously for his brother. Cooper was supposed to spend time with him tonight, on his birthday.

“He got called in for an audition, so I volunteered to spend the evening with you. Is that okay?” Gina offered him a smile, and he shrugged. She hooked his arm and they began to walk home. 

Blaine looked down at the ground and watched his feet, purposely scuffing his heels on the ground as he walked. He stayed silent until they got to the loft, listening as Gina chatted about her day. Nothing she said really stuck with him, the words all flowing together and jumbling in his brain before dissipating to the point where he forgot what she was even talking about. He was exhausted, and really glad he didn’t have to work the next day. Nine hours at the store was just too long. What he really needed was a day of nothing but cuddling with Kurt, but that wasn’t going to happen anytime soon.

By the time he realized his surroundings again, they were in the loft and he was sitting at the kitchen table. Gina was looking through the fridge for something to make him for dinner, talking to herself as she started pulling out ingredients. Blaine sighed and watched her, and she finally found all she was looking for and stood.

“I know how much you like it when I make the spinach and feta stuffed chicken, so I figured I’d make it for you,” she said, looking at him for some kind of reaction.

“I miss Kurt,” Blaine admitted softly. Gina’s smile fell and she looked at him sympathetically. She set the ingredients on the counter and quickly moved to sit in the chair beside him, reaching for his hand to comfort him. “First Rachel and Santana, and now Cooper and Kurt. All of them, I love them all. They, they’re my family. But they all, they all want to be famous. Being famous is more important than, they all pick fame over me. It’s not fair.”

“No it’s not,” said Gina. She tugged him forward gently and hugged him, rubbing his back softly. “I understand how it may seem that way, sweetie. But I know Cooper and Kurt and all the others love you very much. Sometimes it just gets hard on them only thinking about you all the time. They need other things in their lives.”

“I know. I know that. I know.” Blaine wiggled out of her arms and pulled on of his legs up on the chair, hugging them to his chest. “I just wish it didn’t have to be on my birthday. Everyone forgot.”

Gina grabbed her purse and tugged it across the table, then began to rummage around inside until she found an envelope with Blaine’s name on it. She slid it towards him with a tentative smile.

“Not everyone. Cooper and I both thought long and hard about what to get you for your birthday, and we decided on this.”

Blaine eyed the enveloped cautiously, then picked it up and opened it carefully, peeking inside. His eyes widened when he saw money inside. Five one hundred dollar bills to be exact. He pulled them out and counted them several times over just to be sure. 

“Five hundred dollars,” he said, looking up at her. It took a moment for it to sink it, and when it did, he gasped. “Five hundred! That’s what I needed! Now I have enough to buy the ring!”

Gina grinned as he scrambled off his chair and launched himself at her, hugging her tight. She laughed and returned the embrace, until he pulled back. She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek and went back to fixing him dinner as he stared in awe at the money.

“How much do you have now?” asked Gina.

“Three thousand, five hundred. I don’t have to work tomorrow. I’m going to see if Santana can take me to buy the ring,” said Blaine, holding onto his money tight. The sadness in his eyes was instantly gone and he was bright with hope and love once more.

“That’s a lot of money,” said Gina. “Why Santana? Cooper would go with you, like he did when you picked it out.”

“I have to ask Santana because she has, I gave her all my money. She promised to keep it safe,” said Blaine. Gina froze and turned to look at him, her eyes wide like she couldn’t believe what she heard.

“You saved three thousand dollars and you gave it to _Santana_? Why would you do that, Blaine? Something could happen! Someone could steal it, or it could get lost!” 

Blaine flushed slightly at the tone of her voice, looking down at his hands and feeling like he did something wrong. 

“I didn’t want Kurt to find it…he would take it and, and put it where he would know. Santana said she could keep it safe at her house and promised me when I needed it, she would give it,” Blaine explained. He trusted Santana almost as much as he trusted Kurt, and it had seemed like the best way to keep Kurt from finding that Blaine had been saving thousands of dollars over the last year. If Kurt knew of the money, he would notice when it was gone, and ask questions about what Blaine was spending three thousand dollars on.

“Alright. Well. As long as you trust her. That’s a lot of money to be handing over to someone else,” said Gina. 

Blaine nodded. He knew. Sometimes people treated him like he couldn’t handle money but he knew enough to know how to save for the ring. Gina looked at him skeptically for a moment before turning back to her cooking. Blaine announced that he was going to go call his parents, then got up and headed to the bedroom.

Hours later, it was nearly midnight and Blaine was curled up on the couch under a blanket, sleeping soundly. Gina had helped him with his bath and then left at ten, with the promise of only being a phone call away if he needed anything. He insisted he would be okay, then laid on the couch to wait for Kurt to come home. He fell asleep watching reruns of old episodes of The Nanny, which had faded into infomercials by the time the loft door rolled open quietly and Kurt stepped inside. 

Kurt looked around, checking for Blaine before finally finding him in the living room. He smiled at Blaine’s peaceful, sleeping face as he crouched down beside him, putting the box he had brought with him on the floor. Slowly, he leaned forward and pressed a gentle kiss to Blaine’s slightly parted lips, then shook his arm just enough for his eyes to blink open.

“Kurt?” Blaine’s voice was a sleepy squeak as he looked up at him, stretching his arms and shifting.

“Hey sleepy boy,” said Kurt, smiling as he stroked a hand through Blaine’s curly hair. “You waited up for me.”

“Mhmmm…” Blaine yawned and reached for Kurt’s hand, giving it a squeeze. “Missed you…”

“I know. I missed you too. I’m sorry I’m so late. Rehearsal ran long today.” Kurt let Blaine tangle their fingers together, and gently rubbed his thumb over Blaine’s knuckles. “I’m sorry I missed your birthday.”

Blaine’s eyes opened a little wider and he looked up at Kurt, surprised.

“You thought I forgot?” Kurt raised an eyebrow. “I suppose that’s my fault. I should have said something this morning. But…I brought you something.”

Kurt picked up the box he had brought in with him and presented it to Blaine, whose eyes widened even more and he sat up quickly, grabbing for the box.

“Cronut!” said Blaine excitedly. Kurt chuckled and kept the box just out of his reach, then opened it to reveal an extra large cronut, enough for two. Blaine’s eyes were lit up with delight, and Kurt pulled out a birthday candle from his pocket.

“I wouldn’t miss singing for you,” said Kurt. He stuck the candle in the cronut and pulled a lighter from his pocket. He came prepared. Lighting the candle, he held the box up for Blaine and began to sing “Happy Birthday” softly, just for Blaine. When he finished singing, Blaine leaned over and blew out the candle, then closed his eyes to make a wish. Whatever he wished for, it made the sweetest smile spread across his face, and Kurt never wanted it to go away.

Then Blaine insisted Kurt cuddle him on the couch as they broke off pieces of cronut and fed them to each other. The whole day’s stress and disappointment of Kurt’s absence melted away as soon as Blaine was in Kurt’s arms. 

……………………………..

Santana was surprisingly not exhausted after a long day on the set of the television show she’d been cast in. It wasn’t a lead role or anything, but it was enough to give her a break into the business. She smiled as she got off the elevator on her floor of the apartment building, and strode to her door, unlocking it. Opening the door, she realized the apartment was dark.

She frowned. She was expecting Veronica to be home. Flipping on the light, she put her keys on the table beside the door and looked around. Veronica was nowhere to be seen, but draped across the back of the sofa in the living room was a gorgeous red dress that Santana had been eyeing for weeks. She gasped and hurried over to it, finding a note from her girlfriend with instructions to put on the dress and meet her for dinner.

The dress was several hundred dollars, and it only briefly occurred to her to wonder about where the money came from. Too excited in the moment, she hurried into the bathroom with her new dress in tow. After a quick shower, she did her hair and makeup, then slipped into the dress. It flattered her beautifully, and Santana knew whatever Veronica had planned tonight, it was going to be good.

She took a cab to the restaurant, deciding she looked too good to take the bus, and arrived there right on time. Paying and tipping the driver, she got out and headed inside to the top floor restaurant, then asked about her girlfriend and directed to a private table on the balcony. Santana smiled happily. They had always talked about dining here when they were both rich and famous.

Reaching the balcony, she slipped through the French doors and was greeted with a hug and a kiss from her girlfriend. 

“You look so fucking gorgeous in this dress. Just like I knew you would,” said Veronica, grinning as she looked her over. 

“You look amazing too,” said Santana, looking over the new outfit Veronica was wearing. It too looked very expensive. Veronica pulled out her chair for her and she sat, thanking her quietly. Once Veronica was sitting across from her again, she settled in comfortably and looked around. “This is incredible. An amazing surprise.”

“I wanted to surprise you. We never really go out much anymore, so I thought why not tonight?” she said. She reached across the table for Santana’s hand, which she gave willingly. She squeezed her hand and smiled, but something was troubling Santana.

Before she could speak up, a waiter came out to them, handing them both menus and asking if he could get them anything to start with. Veronica ordered them a bottle of very expensive wine, then when he was gone, she told Santana she could order whatever she wanted, it was on her.

“Not that I don’t really, _really_ appreciate all of this. It’s amazing. And…expensive. I thought we were saving money, not spending it,” she said, toying with the edge of her menu.

“That’s the best thing,” said Veronica, smiling. “I just found a shit ton of money today hidden in our closet. Like, really hidden. I think it was left there by the people who lived in our place before us. The envelope looked really worn and dusty and it was shoved in that little hole in the back of the closet. I thought I’d save some of it and splurge a little.”

Santana froze, staring at her with wide eyes. Her heart thudded heavily in her chest. She slowly slipped her hand from Veronica’s and took a deep breath. Veronica looked at her questioningly.

“Everything alright?”

“Um. Was there exactly three thousand dollars in that envelope?” Santana asked slowly. Veronica’s face fell and she nodded. Santana took another deep breath and tried not to panic. “Okay. Um. So. That was actually put there by me. It’s Blaine’s money. The money he’s been saving to buy Kurt an engagement ring.”

“Shit.” Veronica’s eyes widened. “Shit shit shit. You’re kidding. What are you doing with Blaine’s money?”

“He asked me to keep it safe. Oh god. He asked me to hold on to it so Kurt wouldn’t find it. This is bad. This is very, very bad. I’m supposed to take him ring shopping tomorrow!” 

Veronica swore and she stood up. 

“Come on, if we get out of here before they bring the wine, we can return the clothes before the store closes. Then we just have to scrounge up the hundred bucks I spent to reserve this table,” she said. Santana nodded in agreement and stood. They hurried out of the balcony, ducking behind some tables to dodge the eye of the waiter who was on his way to bring their wine. They crouched down and weaved their way through the tables until they were able to sneak through the doors. 

“I’ll pay for a cab,” said Santana. “We don’t want to get these clothes ruined if we’re gonna try to return them.”

Veronica nodded in agreement, and they flagged down a cab, climbing in quickly. They didn’t have much time before the stores closed, so they hurried home and changed, then got there as fast as they could. It took a lot of convincing, and a little threatening from Santana, to get the sales girl to accept the returns, and finally they managed to make back the seven hundred dollars she had spent. They only dipped into their own savings a little bit, but Santana was able to let out a relieved sigh when she was able to tuck all three thousand dollars back into the envelope.

She decided that Blaine did not need to know about this. As far as she knew, he wasn’t capable of murder, but that could change quickly.

………………………………

Once Blaine bought the ring, it rarely left his person. He always kept it in his pocket, waiting for the perfect time to ask Kurt to marry him. There were two problems, though. The first was that he hadn’t realized how much time he spent dressing and undressing around Kurt until he had to try to hide the ring. Blaine was not the best at planning ahead, but after having several close calls, he finally figured out a way to slip the ring box under the mattress and every evening he hid it when he was getting undressed and every morning he pulled it out all when Kurt wasn’t looking. 

The second problem was that Kurt was really busy. There was no right time to propose. Nothing felt right. Blaine wanted to feel good when he said it. He wanted to have Kurt’s attention and he wanted to feel one of those moments where his heart was about to burst with love. But Kurt was so busy, they were rushing places and barely having time for a few kisses before Kurt fell asleep at night. 

Kurt’s opening night was coming soon, though. When everything settled into a regular performance schedule, their lives could stop being so hectic and Blaine could have his Kurt around more often. Until then, Blaine had the ring in his pocket and a day off from work. There was no better way to spend it, he decided, than surprising Kurt at the theater.

He asked Gina to take him to the theater on her way to her own rehearsal, and she happily escorted him there. The whole cab ride he had a big smile on his face. He hadn’t seen Kurt during the day in forever, and he couldn’t wait to see the place where Kurt had been spending so much time. Once there, he pressed a kiss to Gina’s cheek and waved goodbye to her. The cab stayed parked until he was inside, so she could make sure he made it in.

Wandering through the door, he looked around at the grand entrance. Kurt had only brought him here once, when he needed to sign contracts and things. Then they had entered through the back door and Blaine hadn’t really got to look around. He found his way to one of the ornately decorated walls and ran his hand along it, looking around in awe. He heard music from somewhere and decided to follow the noise, going through a couple of doors before entering the theater, where rows and rows of seats led all the way up to the grand stage. 

There were people on the stage, and lots of them. They danced and sang and Blaine could see Kurt in the back, weaving his way through the people. He was in full costume, so it took Blaine a minute to recognize him. Blaine watched them from the back of the house as they finished the song, then smiled as he started making his way to the stage. 

He barely got fifteen steps through before a large, meaty hand wrapped around his arm and yanked him to a stop. He stumbled and let out a squeak of surprise before looking up at a much larger man, glaring down his nose at him.

“What do you think you’re doing?” asked the man. He was in some kind of uniform and he was really, really scary. Blaine felt his legs start shaking. “You can’t just walk in off the street and expect to get a free show, kid. Now get outta here before I decide to give you more than a warning.”

He pushed Blaine toward the door, but he wasn’t quick enough on his feet to respond and a gentle push toward the exit turned into a hard shove to the ground. Blaine stuck out his arms to try to catch himself, but only succeeded in landing wrong on his wrist and twisting it awkwardly. He fell onto his face with a cry and laid there, tears bubbling up and streaming from his eyes. The scary man was still standing above him and he couldn’t move. Pain radiated up his arm to his shoulder, and from his nose where he had slammed it to the ground. His head gave a throb of protest at being jostled so abruptly, his brain did not appreciate the impact.

He curled up and cradled his arm, crying softly as the man grabbed him by his good arm and pulled him up in what was probably intended to be a gesture of good will, but only resulted in Blaine letting out a terrified scream and struggling through the haze of tears to get away.

“What is going on here?” An older man was heading down the aisle from the stage toward them, looking angry at the commotion. “You’re disrupting my rehearsal!”

“I’m just trying to get this kid to leave. I think he’s stupid or something,” said the scary man. Blaine managed to get away from him, still shaking as he tried to fight the temptation to let go and slip into an episode. 

“N-no!” he cried out, cradling his injured wrist. “I’m, I’m Kurt’s, Kurt’s boy-boyfriend!”

“Well shit,” said the older man. He rolled his eyes and mumbled something Blaine couldn’t understand, then held out a hand for him. “C’mon kiddo. I’ll take you backstage and Kurt can deal with you.” 

Blaine, still crying, hesitantly took the man’s hand and let himself be pulled toward the stage. He stumbled up a couple of stairs and was led backstage, which was crowded with actors in costume. He looked around for Kurt, but he wasn’t there. He was further backstage in his own dressing room. There was a sign that said “Kurt Hummel” on it, and Blaine was tempted to reach out and touch it before he was tugged inside by the older man.

“Hummel. I believe this is yours.” 

Kurt looked up from where he was in the process of removing his stage makeup, then gasped in surprise. He stood and hurried over to Blaine.

“Oh my god, honey, what are you doing here?” asked Kurt, reaching up to wipe the tears from his damp cheeks.

“I wanted, wanted to come, come and, come surprise you and spend some, spend some time with, and see you,” said Blaine softly, leaning into the touch. 

“What happened? Why were you crying?” 

“That scary man tried to make me leave, he pushed me over and I fell and it hurt.” Blaine pouted and held up his wrist, which didn’t hurt so bad now. It wasn’t badly injured, but it still throbbed.

“You came in the front door.” Kurt gently held his arm, looking at his wrist. He flexed it slowly and Blaine let out a little whimper, but it wasn’t an unbearable pain. His head hurt worse at the moment. 

“I didn’t know how else to, I forgot, I didn’t know how,” said Blaine, his voice small. He could see the irritation in Kurt’s eyes, and he hated being the cause of it, so he hung his head to avoid looking at Kurt at all.

“Blaine, you cannot just come here whenever you want. This is my work place. A real, professional, show business environment. I can’t have my boyfriend coming in disrupting rehearsal and making me look bad. It’s unprofessional and I could lose everything I’ve worked for. Do you understand?” Kurt questioned. He didn’t raise his voice but his tone was harsh and it hurt.

Blaine nodded, trying to contain the tears that were forming. He would not cry. He would not. Except Kurt put his finger under Blaine’s chin and tipped it up, forcing him to look him in the eye, and seeing the irritation and anger there made Blaine cringe as tears leaked from his eyes. 

“Stop crying,” said Kurt. He guided Blaine to a chair in the corner of the room and crouched down in front of him. “I’m gonna call someone and have them come get you. Until then, you gotta stay right here, okay?”

Blaine sniffled and nodded, folding his hands in his lap. He couldn’t stop crying and his head still hurt and this wasn’t the fun day he was supposed to spend with Kurt at all. All he did was make Kurt mad at him and the more he thought about that the worse his headache got. He pulled his legs up and hugged them against his chest, burying his head into his knees. Vaguely he could hear Kurt’s voice on the phone, but all he could focus on was how bad his head hurt and how there was no way he was going to be able to bring out the ring any time soon.

Ten minutes passed and Kurt hadn’t spoken to him since he started talking on the phone. Blaine’s headache was only steadily getting worse and he buried his hands in his hair, clutching his head as the pain pounded beneath his skull. He curled up as small as he could and let out a little sob he couldn’t control. 

“Blaine?” Kurt asked softly. 

There was the sound of a chair scraping across the floor and then footsteps coming toward him. Blaine tried to focus on Kurt as he felt his hands on his arms, but the throbbing was reaching the point of agony. His hands turned into fists in his hair, and he could feel Kurt’s fingers attempting to pry his hands away from his head.

“C’mon, Blaine. Stop this. You have to calm down. It’s gonna be okay…” Kurt whispered somewhat frantically as he gave up and pulled Blaine into his arms, hugging as much of him as he could. “Blaine, honey please. I can’t do this now, I’ve got rehearsal. Please…”

Kurt was pleading with him, but Blaine couldn’t help it. He couldn’t help how bad his head hurt and he was quickly slipping away, into the place he went when it got bad like this, the empty place that confused him to exhaustion. There was no turning back now, he was having an episode right there in Kurt’s dressing room.

“Blaine please come back to me. I’ve got to go rehearse, I can’t do this today. Please come back,” pleaded Kurt as he rubbed his hands over Blaine’s arms and pressed little kisses to knuckles where they were buried in his hair.

Despite the pain and the tears and the urge to just close his eyes and go to sleep, Blaine forced himself to loosen his grip on his hair and regain enough control to look up. He looked up at Kurt with blank eyes, void of all expression. It was too much, everything was too much. He was there, but barely. 

Kurt let out a relieved sigh, not noticing how he looked, just thankful to see his eyes. His lips moved, he was talking, but Blaine heard nothing. He watched Kurt as he moved around the room, but nothing seemed to be making any sound. With each passing second, it was becoming more and more difficult to resist the pull of healing slumber.

A few minutes later, the dressing room door opened and Elliott walked in. He took Blaine’s hand and gently tugged him to his feet. Blaine stumbled after him, his awareness of his surroundings dissipating quickly as he was pulled away from Kurt. By the time they reached the waiting cab outside the theater, Blaine had fully slipped under and his eyes drifted closed, drowning him in darkness.

…………………………..

Kurt forced himself to forget the fiasco with Blaine for the rest of the day and focus on his work. He knew there were better ways to deal with him, but he was so surprised to see Blaine show up at the theater. Blaine was supposed to go to lunch with Santana and spend the afternoon reading, like he had told Kurt this morning. He wasn’t supposed to be wandering the city and showing up unannounced. 

But Elliott had saved the day, swooping in and taking his distraught boyfriend home with the promise of staying with him and taking care of him until Kurt got home. It was around dinner time when Kurt walked through the door of the loft. It was quiet and dark, and the curtain to the bedroom was shut tight. Elliott was on the couch with his feet propped up on the table. 

“Hey,” said Kurt, taking off his jacket and draping it over the couch. Elliott looked up and smiled.

“Hey. Your cutie’s been asleep all day. He drooled on me on the cab ride over here,” said Elliott. He stood up and stretched, yawning as he dropped his hands to his sides. 

“Thank you so much, you’re amazing.” Kurt gave him a quick hug, then fished out enough cash from his pocket to cover his cab fare home. Elliott took the money, and gave Kurt a quick kiss on the cheek. 

“Whatever you did to upset him, you better apologize when he wakes up. You’ve kind of been ignoring him like a dick lately,” said Elliott before he grabbed his own jacket and headed out. 

Kurt let out a sigh and ran a hand through his hair, not caring if he messed it up or not. Elliott was right, his rehearsal schedule had become a priority to Blaine’s happiness. Kurt just hoped once the show started, he could force himself to remember Blaine had to be number one.

…………………………….

Kurt slept for a while, then woke up and made a pot of coffee, then sat up in bed reading over his lines and watching Blaine sleep. In the middle of the night, Blaine finally began to wake up from the urgent need to go to the bathroom. He sat up quickly and rolled out of bed, and hurried out of the room without a word. Kurt heard the toilet flush a couple minutes later, and then Blaine shuffled his way back into the bedroom and crawled back into bed. He curled up beside Kurt and rested his head on Kurt’s thigh.

“You feeling okay?” Kurt asked softly, petting Blaine’s hair gently.

“A little,” answered Blaine, his voice small and childlike, the way he sometimes got when his condition got the best of him and he couldn’t keep control. Kurt felt his heart ache knowing that it had been his actions that caused Blaine to feel like this. Blaine worked so hard to keep control over himself and keep from slipping into a state like this. 

“I’m so sorry about earlier,” Kurt whispered, loosely burying his fingers in Blaine’s soft curls. “I should have been kinder to you, should have made time for you, the way you deserve. I promise I’ll never push you away like that again.”

Blaine hummed softly, but Kurt didn’t know if it was a positive sign or not. A few moments later, Blaine’s body relaxed and he could feel the even breaths coming from his parted lips against his thigh. Blaine had fallen back asleep. With any luck, the next time he woke up he wouldn’t remember anything, and they could go on as they had before. Only this time Kurt would keep in mind to be a little kinder.

……………………………

Kurt took Blaine with him to the theater every day he didn’t work after that, right up until his opening day. He realized he had put entirely too much trust in Blaine’s progress toward independence, and decided he just needed to make a place for Blaine. Blaine knew he had to stay out of the way, so he mostly stayed in Kurt’s dressing room watching movies on his laptop, getting as much of Kurt’s attention as he could during his breaks.

Blaine seemed happier this way, which in turn made Kurt happier. He tried to push Blaine toward taking care of himself, but he realized that wasn’t a reality. Blaine could handle independence to a certain level, but his condition would always limit him to some extent. Kurt had thought that separating his work and his home would have been better, but keeping Blaine close and knowing he was always okay made his work a little more satisfying.

At last, the opening night came. Kurt was jittery with nerves knowing that there were numerous critics sitting in the audience waiting to determine if his performance was worthy of a continued run or not. Blaine watched him getting ready from across the room, and Kurt met his eyes in the mirror before turning around in his chair.

“This is the big night,” said Kurt. Blaine got up and shuffled over to him, then took his hands in both his, giving them a gentle squeeze.

“You’re the best,” said Blaine. “The very best and I am so proud to be yours.”

Blaine leaned down and pressed a kiss to Kurt’s lips, lingering for a few moments before pulling away. 

“Thank you,” said Kurt, smiling up at him. “You should probably go. The stage manager will take you to your seat. You’re in the front row next to my dad.”

Blaine nodded in understanding. Even though Kurt’s dad still kind of made him uncomfortable, he knew he would still be able to focus one hundred percent on Kurt’s performance. He loved seeing Kurt perform. It made that happy nervous fluttery feeling in his tummy bubble up to his chest, filling him with love. As he headed out of Kurt’s dressing room, his fingers twitched toward his pocket, where the ring was hidden safely. The time was coming, he knew. 

He found Paul, the quirky stage manager. He was cute, in a way that Kurt wasn’t, and the way that he talked to Blaine when Kurt wasn’t around made him blush. Ignoring it was key, though. That’s what Rachel told him over Skype. So Blaine followed him through some doors and then out into the main part of the theater, where there had to be thousands of people all talking and standing and sitting and buzzing around all in such a tiny place. Blaine froze and looked around in awe. So many people made him nervous, he felt his palms get sweaty and his head throbbed as he looked around, every person blurring into the next until he couldn’t distinguish any one person from another. 

Paul’s hand landed on his and he was tugged forward gently. He followed until he got to his seat in the front row. Burt and Carole were there, and Blaine gasped when he saw in the second row Cooper and Gina sitting next to Mama and Daddy. He waved at them and tried to lean over his seat to say hi, but he felt someone tug him into his seat. Burt had pulled him down and gave him a stern look that made him shrink.

“It’s not nice to disturb other people, buddy. This is an important night for Kurt. You don’t want anyone coming out of this unhappy,” said Burt. 

Blaine nodded quickly and twisted in his seat just enough to wave to his parents. He hadn’t realized they were coming to the show too, and he was so happy to see them. He was about to open his mouth to say so when Mama pressed her fingers to her lips, telling him to be quiet. He gave them a smile and settled back in his seat, just as the lights started to go down.

The music started and Blaine stared up at the stage in awe. The song was familiar, he’d heard it many times over the past few days, and his fingers itched to play along on a phantom piano. He hummed along instead and then gasped when Kurt came out, fully dressed in costume and positively owning the stage. He didn’t know how Kurt could perform so well in front of so many people, but he was so proud. 

Halfway through the show, Blaine was getting that feeling. The feeling of so much love for Kurt he felt like he was going to shoot out of his seat like a rocket any second. His body trembled as his heart pounded in his chest. He felt the fluttering in his tummy increase, making him jittery with anticipation. He felt like he was being consumed by love the more he watched Kurt. 

By the time it was over, he could hardly contain himself. When the lights came up and people started leaving, Blaine jumped up out of his seat and turned to face his family. He knew he had to go backstage again to see Kurt, and he wanted them to come with him. The time was now and he wanted them to see it. 

Mama and Daddy climbed over the seats so they were standing in the same row as him, and he gave them both tight hugs. Mama told him she was so proud of Kurt and he held her hand tight. Cooper and Gina stayed behind, as well as Santana and Veronica. Cooper handed Blaine a bouquet of roses.

“What for?” asked Blaine, hardly able to focus. 

“To give to Kurt, silly. It’s what you do after a performance,” said Cooper. 

Blaine nodded and held the flowers close. Kurt would love them, and it would be perfect. 

“Let’s go backstage and see Kurt,” said Blaine, holding the flowers in one hand and Mama’s hand in the other. Everyone, including Burt and Carole, all followed Blaine at his insistence. He led them back the way Paul had brought him through, and they joined the crowd backstage. Everyone was buzzing with excitement about how well the show went. There was no doubt it would be a hit.

By the time Blaine made it to Kurt’s dressing room, Kurt had already changed into his regular clothes and was coming out to join the party. He spotted Blaine and hurried over, hugging him tight. 

“You were so good!” Blaine kissed his cheek and handed him the flowers. 

“Thank you, honey.” Kurt grinned and pressed the flowers to his nose to smell them for a moment before he was ambushed by more hugs from his friends and family. 

Blaine got pushed away from Kurt, but he wouldn’t let it stop him. He pushed back through the crowd until he could reach Kurt, who faced away from him now. He tapped him on the shoulder, trying to get his attention.

“Kurt…”

“Just a minute,” said Kurt, who was focused on the compliments he was getting from his fellow actors.

“No, Kurt…” Blaine’s hand landed on Kurt’s arm just as Burt had finally made his way to his son.

Kurt shrugged him off with a cry of “Dad!” and embraced his father. Blaine knew Kurt was excited, but this was important! He wanted to do this before the bubbly, happy, lovey feeling went away. Determined, he went back up to Kurt, who had drifted away from him once more. Several more attempts at diverting Kurt’s attention back to him had failed, so finally he resorted to the only thing he could think to do.

He got down on one knee. 

The action was met with gasps from several people who saw it. Suddenly voices turned to whispers that began to fade away and Kurt’s chattering to his family died down as Burt cleared his throat and motioned for Kurt to turn around. Slowly, Kurt turned, and when his eyes landed on Blaine, he froze. 

“Blaine…what are you doing?” asked Kurt, looking down at him wearily. Everyone had quieted and formed a circle around them.

Blaine hadn’t really thought ahead about what he was going to say, not that he would remember it if he did. But now he kind of wished he had written something down. His mind went completely blank and he just stared up at Kurt with adoring eyes. Finally, he managed to get some sounds to come from his mouth. 

“Kurt. Kurt, I love you. I love you and I, I always have. From, since we met. I did. I loved you. I want, want to make it real. I want to make it forever. You’re my, you’re my everything. You make me so happy. And I just, just want you, want you to always be there. Because I love you and…”

Blaine paused to fish the ring out of his pocket. It was a platinum band with three small diamonds on the top. He held it up for Kurt to see, and for the first time noticed tears in Kurt’s eyes. 

“Will you marry me?” 

Kurt just stared at him, his expression stunned and his hand raised, pressed over his mouth. Blaine looked up at him, hopeful and waiting. It had never occurred to him that Kurt might not want to marry him, that Kurt could say no. And as the seconds ticked by where Kurt simply stared at him, he felt his heart sink. Finally, Kurt dropped the hand from his mouth and nodded.

“Yes,” he croaked, like he could barely get his voice to work. “Yes, yes I will marry you.”

It took a moment to sink in, but then people were cheering and clapping and Kurt had grabbed his hand and pulled him to his feet. He did the only thing he could think to do, and pressed his lips to Kurt’s, kissing him hard and earning even more applause from their audience. Finally Kurt had to gently push him off, and he held up his left hand.

Blaine grinned and found Kurt’s ring finger, holding it steady as he slipped the ring on. It was a perfect fit, and Kurt looked at it with happy tears shining in his eyes. He pulled Blaine into his arms once more, hugging him tighter than ever. Blaine couldn’t wipe the smile from his face as he clung to Kurt, his chin tucked in the groove of Kurt’s neck and shoulder. 

“I love you so much too,” whispered Kurt, right in Blaine’s ear just for him to hear. “Thank you for making this night even more perfect.”

Blaine pressed a little kiss to Kurt’s neck in reply. He knew exactly what Kurt meant. This was the most perfect night of his life too.


	10. Kurt Has Second Thoughts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After a two year engagement the wedding draws near, and Kurt finds himself having second thoughts.

It takes two years, but finally Kurt and Blaine’s wedding draws near. At first they decided to put it off until after Kurt’s run on Broadway, and then they had to put it off due to Burt having some health problems. They went back to Ohio for a month where Kurt could spend time with his father until he got better. Blaine went with him, but ended up spending more time with his own parents than anyone else. 

Then they returned to New York the wedding planning began. Kurt had always thought it would be easy once they started. He knew better than anyone that Blaine could have opinions when he wanted them, he just didn’t think he would have so many about what their wedding was going to be like. The two of them spent months going back and forth over everything from location to guests to flowers to table coverings. Kurt won most of their small battles, mostly because Blaine just wanted him to be happy.

And now, on top of everything, two weeks from their wedding, Kurt and Blaine were moving. With Kurt’s run on Broadway and his rising fame, the couple had finally outgrown the loft and had selected a much nicer neighborhood closer to the theater. Blaine insisted on keeping his job at the store, so they made sure he was just a few minutes from the subway, which he was learning to navigate on his own. 

While Kurt was on the phone with someone, yelling about flower arrangements, Blaine and Cooper carried boxes from the elevator to the new apartment. Blaine had not realized just how many things the two of them had accumulated over the seven years spent in the loft. The apartment was nice, but the space wasn’t quite as open as the loft had been. Fitting their things would be an interesting challenge that an already exhausted Blaine did not want to take on.

“Where do these boxes go, little bro?” asked Cooper. Blaine looked at the pink tape on the side of the boxes and pointed down the hallway.

“Our bedroom. It’s Kurt’s clothes,” said Blaine, who set down his box in the bathroom. 

“No wonder they’re so damn heavy,” said Cooper, chuckling as he pushed open the bedroom door and found a place for it. “So how does it feel to finally live in an apartment with walls?” 

“It’s…weird,” said Blaine, looking around. “Seems small. I know it’s not but seems like it.” 

“It’s just a different style. You’ll get used to it. Plus there’s separation. If you want to be alone or have a quiet space, you just come here and close the door.” Cooper motioned to the door and offered him a grin, which Blaine half-heartedly returned.

“It’s nice,” said Blaine. “Kurt loves it. Just doesn’t feel like home yet. But I’m happy being wherever he is.”

“Eh, you’re just saying that because you haven’t had sex all over every surface of this place yet.” Cooper laughed when Blaine’s cheeks flushed dark red. “Give it time. Once all these boxes are unpacked and you guys get married, it will be a welcome change. Plus then you can turn one of those two extra bedrooms into a nursery for a little mini Blaine someday.”

Blaine’s eyes widened at the mention of children. He had never spoken about that with Kurt before. He wasn’t sure Kurt would even want it if he did suggest it. Taking care of him was hard enough for Kurt. Sure, he was steadily gaining enough independence to navigate the world, but his condition was still unforgiving. When it did hit him, it affected him in ways he didn’t anticipate, and was often sudden. It was almost as unpredictable as the brain itself. He wasn’t sure it would be right to bring a child into that. 

“No,” said Blaine, shaking himself out of his thoughts. “It’s an office and, and a guest room. Kurt decided.”

Blaine hurried past Cooper before anything else could be said about it. He went to the kitchen where he found Viv pulling dishes out of boxes and putting them into cabinets. There was more space in this new kitchen, and on one side there was a peninsula that looked out into the living room, where Kurt was pacing around the new couch they had purchased and the boxes haphazardly scattered around the floor. He was on the phone and looked so intense it made Blaine nervous.

“Are you okay, sweetie?” asked Viv, pausing in her work to come over to him, rubbing his back gently. 

He nodded and looked down at her. “Yeah. It’s just. It’s a lot. Everything is a lot. Moving and, and new places, and the wedding. I, I am, Kurt and I are really tired. It’s hard.”

“I know. It’s really hard being a grown up, but you’re doing so well. When I was your age you were just born, and your father and I were just trying to get by. You and Kurt are making it in the city, and now you’ve got this beautiful apartment and you’re getting married. I am so proud of you.” She smiled at him encouragingly and Blaine couldn’t help it as he wrapped her up in a tight hug. She always knew just the right thing to say to him to ease his nerves. 

“Love you, Mama,” said Blaine, kissing her cheek as he pulled back. 

“I love you too, my sweet boy.” She reached up to push back some of the curls that had fallen loose on his forehead. “Do you need anything? Snack or drink?”

Blaine shook his head and glanced back out at Kurt. 

“No. I think there’s some more boxes. I’ll get them,” said Blaine. He watched Kurt for a moment longer, then cringed when Kurt raised his voice and hurried out of the apartment to get more boxes.

Kurt had insisted they get the move done before the wedding, but Blaine didn’t know if that was such a good idea. He was already overwhelmed with all the wedding planning, he felt useless in helping Kurt now. He carried boxes in and used the color coded tape on them to know where they went, but he couldn’t even begin to start putting things away. After a few more trips to carry boxes in, all Blaine wanted to do was rest. Kurt was still on the phone, though, so he did just as Cooper had suggested and went to the bedroom. He closed the door and found a blanket, then draped it over the unmade bed and laid on it, the stress of the day pulling him quickly into a deep sleep.

……………………………..

Kurt spent about a week on the phone, and it was exhausting. So moving two weeks before the wedding had been a dumbass idea on his part. There was no taking it back now. The apartment was still full of boxes because Blaine seemed incapable of putting anything away himself, the plans for the wedding were becoming more and more stressful as the time grew nearer, and on top of all that Kurt was supposed to audition for a new role in a show two days before the wedding. 

There was no time to think about anything. Blaine’s family was always around, getting in the way under the guise of helping. Everyone was in the way and always needing something and Kurt knew this wasn’t how it was supposed to be. His wedding was supposed to be the happiest time of his life. 

He needed to get a grip on things, so he finally just asked all their friends and guests – all of whom had been over “helping” – to leave for the night so that he could have a quiet night to relax. Finally there was silence in the apartment, and Kurt poured himself a glass of wine so that he could wind down from all the stress. He had just sprawled out on the couch with the lights dimmed and some soft music playing when he heard shuffling feet across the hardwood floor.

He looked up to see Blaine standing there, wringing his hands and looking at him almost nervously.

“Hi,” said Kurt. “What’s up?”

“Um.” Blaine looked down at his feet as he shifted from side to side. “Um. We were busy and, busy before and we didn’t get to make, we didn’t get to…”

“Spit it out Blaine, please, I’m tired,” snapped Kurt.

Instantly he regretted his words and his tone, and he looked up just in time to see Blaine’s eyes go wide as he flinched away from Kurt. Kurt sat up and Blaine shuffled back a few steps. He could see the tears forming and he knew he had to do something fast. 

“Blaine. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean that.” Kurt set down his wine glass and got up slowly. Blaine didn’t back away, but he trembled when Kurt reached out to him. “Honey, please. I really am sorry. I have no right to take it out on you, especially not when I brought most of this on myself.”

Blaine avoided eye contact as he shakily slipped his hand into Kurt’s, squeezing gently. Kurt stepped closer and pulled him into his arms, hugging him tight. 

“I love you. And all this stress is going to be worth it when we’re married,” whispered Kurt, pressing his lips to Blaine’s ear in the way that always made him shudder and melt in Kurt’s arms. 

Blaine’s body went limp in Kurt’s arms and he pressed his face into Kurt’s neck, breathing him in. Kurt rubbed his back gently until Blaine began to pull back. He stayed close, their bodies almost touching, but apart enough so they could see each other’s faces.

“Forgive me?” asked Kurt, giving Blaine a convincing little pout. 

“I don’t know…” Blaine sounded serious, but Kurt could see the playful glint in his eyes. Kurt smiled and pursed his lips, inviting Blaine closer for a kiss. Blaine pecked him quickly on the lips, then pulled back. “I guess. But, I wanted to, to say it’s really late. And I didn’t, I haven’t had dinner.”

Kurt narrowed his eyes and lifted his hand to look at his watch. It read 9:45, and he suddenly felt terrible. Hours ago he had promised Blaine’s mom he would cook him dinner so she could go back to her hotel room and get off her feet, but minutes after she had gone his phone rang and he was caught up in arranging details of wedding cake delivery times. He had completely forgot about dinner.

“Oh shit. I am so sorry, Blaine. You must think I am the worst fiancé in the world. Let’s go and get you something to eat right now. You must be starving. How about we just go for something easy tonight, since it’s late? We could have cereal for dinner!” Kurt suggested, offering Blaine a smile. 

Blaine did not return it. His furrowed his brow and shrugged.

“No,” he said. “I could have made myself cereal, could have done it hours ago. You always say no, no it’s not good for me. You always tell me you’ll cook something better.”

“Okay, okay. Fine. I’ll whip up some pasta. That’s easy enough,” said Kurt with a sigh.

It took him ten minutes just to find all the right utensils and ingredients, another five to learn how to work the new stove, and then he had to actually cook the food. It was twenty minutes after ten when he finally poured the pasta into two bowls, handing one to Blaine and leaving the other on the counter as he turned to clean up. When he finished cleaning up, he looked back to find that Blaine had devoured his bowl and had moved on to the second one.

“Blaine! That was supposed to be mine!” Kurt almost tried to reach for it, but then thought twice about it. He had been the one to forget to feed him after all.

“Sorry…” Blaine said through a mouthful of pasta. He looked down at the half empty bowl guiltily, then offered it up to Kurt. “You have the rest.” 

Kurt shook his head. “No, you go ahead. I’m sorry. Again. I’m the one who starved you, after all.”

“You didn’t,” said Blaine, looking at him with those big puppy eyes. “You’re busy.”

“Yeah,” said Kurt. “I’m always busy.”

He walked through the kitchen and paused by where Blaine sat at the peninsula, then leaned over to kiss his cheek.

“I’m taking my wine to bed. Do you think you can handle your bath alone tonight?”

Blaine nodded. “Yeah. I, I guess so. I’m getting better. I can get done before the water is cold.”

“Good boy. Remember, feel the temperature before you let the tub fill up. Don’t make it too hot.” Kurt gave him a quick little hug, then went to retrieve his glass of wine and headed to the bedroom.

The room was dark, but he didn’t turn any lights on. He set his glass on the nightstand and stripped all his clothes off. His mind was swimming with stress and worry about the wedding and his audition and Blaine. He didn’t even care about where his clothes went as he left them in a pile on the floor and climbed into bed naked. He turned on the wall mounted television to the news and let it play quietly as he sipped his glass. A few minutes later he could hear the sound of water running through the pipes as the bathtub was being filled.

Being with Blaine had so many good days, but for every few weeks of good days there was a bad day, like today. Kurt sensed his growth, but Kurt was growing so much faster. He needed Blaine to hurry up and gain his independence. Blaine was riding the subway now and taking his own baths and even handling some of his own money. He was still working hard as ever toward his goal of getting his GED, but he was lucky if he would be able to past standardized tests for ninth grade.

Marrying Blaine felt so right on one hand, but on the other he could hear his dad’s voice in the back of his head. Caring for Blaine meant holding himself back. Now he was growing and blossoming faster than ever in his career, but there was always a part of him that had to keep things small and simple for Blaine’s sake. He had tried to push Blaine to grow faster to keep up with him, but it had ended in an episode that bled into two weeks of nothing but tears and headaches.

Kurt had always thought there was no limit to his patience when it came to Blaine, but as he sipped his glass of wine he was seriously beginning to wonder if maybe, after nine years of being with him he had reached some kind of limit. And that thought terrified him.

…………………………

Viv took Blaine out for lunch two days before the wedding, when Kurt was doing his audition. Blaine still wanted to be involved in wedding plans as much as he could, so Viv took the opportunity to explain to him fully what was going to happen the day of the wedding. No one had taken the time to actually do this, just assuming Blaine couldn’t keep up with the details if they tried. 

But Blaine soaked it all up like a dry sponge in the middle of the desert in summer. He picked up every detail and compared it to his memory of Cooper’s wedding, secretly getting a thrill that his wedding was going to be even bigger and even more special. Viv laughed as she explained how everything would happen on the wedding day, from when he would arrive at the venue to when he and Kurt would leave for their honeymoon. He got hung up on one little detail though, and Viv realized why he hadn’t already been told.

“What? I can’t see Kurt for a whole _day_? That, does that mean I won’t, I can’t see him tomorrow?” Blaine looked at her like she had murdered his puppy, if he had one. Like being without Kurt for a whole twenty-four hours was the absolute worst thing that ever could have happened to him.

“Relax, sweetheart. It’s okay. It’s just bad luck if you see each other. Kurt will spend the day with his friends, and you’ll spend the day with me and your dad and Cooper. Then we’ll take you to the wedding and you’ll see Kurt when it’s time to get married. It will make the moment you see him all the more special, I promise,” said Viv. Blaine looked at her like he wasn’t really buying it, and she laughed softly.

“Cooper and Gina didn’t do this,” said Blaine. “They had a rehearsal.”

“But they didn’t spend the night together. You’re not going to have a rehearsal because we’re not setting up your wedding until the day of. Just because someone else is getting married in the same building the day before,” explained Viv. 

Blaine’s brow furrowed as he tried to process this. It was clear he still was not pleased. 

“How come Kurt didn’t tell me?” asked Blaine.

“He’s been really busy planning all the other stuff. I told him I would tell you,” she said. They paused in their discussion as a waitress came over to take their orders. Viv ordered a garden salad and Blaine ordered a BLT. Blaine always ordered a BLT when Kurt wasn’t there to translate the menu for him. It was easy to remember and he always liked it.

“Kurt’s always busy,” said Blaine. “I wish life would slow down a little bit for him. Slow down to my speed.”

“I know you do, honey. It’s not going to get better when you’re married, you know. He’s still going to be just as busy. But you’ll always be able to remember that no matter how busy he is, he’ll always love you. All you have to do is look down at the ring on your finger and remember the smile on his face when he put it on.” Viv watched a little smile bloom on Blaine’s face as he looked down at his left hand. There was no ring yet, but there would be soon. 

“Daddy helped me write my vows yesterday,” said Blaine, tracing his ring finger on his left hand with his index finger on his right. “We made them easy so I could read them, but nice so they still, still say everything I want to, to say for Kurt. I’ve been practicing lots so that I don’t stumble on, stumble on my words. I hope Kurt loves it.”

“Well Kurt loves you, so I’m sure he will,” said Viv. Her own smile refused to fade as she could see the love in Blaine’s eyes as he imagined his wedding day. It was so close, and she was so proud. Blaine was handling everything wonderfully, and soon he was going to have a husband. It was more than she had ever hoped for him.

………………………….

Kurt nailed his audition, but still had to wait for the final decision. He coasted through the day before the wedding with a nervous smile, then went out with Rachel, Santana, Veronica, and Elliott for a bachelor party that wasn’t really a bachelor party. They hit several bars, but Kurt didn’t drink much. He didn’t want to be hung over on his wedding day. Instead, he insisted on going home early to try to get some rest. 

But he didn’t sleep at all. He laid on top of the covers of his bed, staring at the empty spot beside him where Blaine usually slept. He was torn up inside, going back and forth as to what he was going to do the next day. Loving Blaine was not the issue. He would always love Blaine. And he had wanted to marry Blaine two years ago when he said yes. Things change, though. People change and they grow and he couldn’t help but feeling maybe he was growing too fast and leaving Blaine behind.

Then there was the matter of his commitment to Blaine, the one that went beyond their relationship. Blaine was still legally considered mentally disabled despite his progress and Kurt was his guardian. Blaine was Kurt’s responsibility. He didn’t want to have to be responsible for the person he married. He wanted to just be able to be married. 

He hated to admit it, but maybe his dad’s fears had been right all along. Maybe he needed someone who could provide for him equally. Sure, Blaine had a job at the store and a lot of love in his heart, but sometimes it would be nice to coming home and have dinner cooked for him. It would be nice to not have to worry about finding someone to damn near babysit a twenty-five year old man every time he had a late rehearsal or an interview or something Blaine couldn’t do with him.

The night passed in a blur of constant back and forth thoughts and when Kurt rolled out of bed, he had barely managed a few hours’ sleep. Now it was his wedding day. He should have felt nervous, happy fluttering in his stomach and he should have been filled with excitement and anticipation for what was to come. Instead he felt nothing except fear and indecision.

Somehow he managed to gather all he would need, pack a few suitcases for the honeymoon, and make his way to the car which took him to the venue. He was just going through motions until he found himself in a dressing room, staring at himself in the mirror as he was supposed to be doing his hair.

A knock on the door startled him and he looked up. Rachel peeked her head in. She was already dressed in her dress, excited to be on Kurt’s side of the wedding party.

“Oh god Kurt you are going to be speechless when you see Blaine, he looks beautiful. He’s glowing with happiness right now. I think it’s a bit infections,” said Rachel gleefully as she bounced over to him. When he didn’t respond, she looked at his face in the mirror and frowned. “You’re not being infected by my happiness. Why aren’t you happy? You’re getting married to your soulmate!” 

“I can’t do it.” Kurt stared into the mirror, his face going even paler as the words slipped out. “I said it. Oh god. I said it. I can’t. I can’t marry Blaine. Not now.”

Rachel looked at him, wide eyed and confused. “Shut up. Take it back. Take it back right now. You love him!”

“Yes, I love him, but I can’t marry him. I just can’t do it. I thought I was ready, but I’m not. I thought I would be ready when he was ready, but I didn’t think he would ask so soon. I thought he would wait until we were older. But he didn’t. He asked me now, and I’ve got so much going on and I just can’t anymore. I can’t be responsible for him. I can’t take it. I love him but I need to be able to focus on me and not have to worry about him. I can’t take the pressure!” 

Kurt shoved the hair products on the table in front of him to the floor, then stood up so fast his chair tipped over. Rachel scrambled to pick everything up, then hurried over to him, grabbing his arm and forcing him to face her.

“Shut up! You don’t know what you’re saying. Things are getting better with Blaine, remember? He’s gaining independence. You just have to be patient. Isn’t that what you told me? Patience is key, and things will come along. You can’t walk out today. You will crush him, Kurt. If you don’t get your ass ready and go out there, you will _crush_ him!” 

Kurt pulled away from her and narrowed his eyes, then opened his mouth to speak. Before he could say anything, his head jerked to the side as he felt the sting of a slap. He brought his hand up to his cheek and glared at Rachel, only for the first time seeing that she was crying, tears ruining her makeup.

“You heard me,” he said. “I cannot marry Blaine. I’m not ready.”

“Bullshit!” Rachel shouted. “Bullshit, Kurt Hummel! You have pushed this wedding off for two years and I will not let you throw away a nine year relationship because suddenly you think you can’t marry someone who isn’t as smart as you or can’t cook you dinner once in a while. You know. You’re such a fucking hypocrite. You spent all those years getting after me day and night about not doing the right thing for Blaine, and here you are being a selfish fuck.”

“Just lay off, Rachel! You have no idea what I’m dealing with!” Kurt shouted back, feeling anger boiling up inside him and frustration from all the stress he’d been feeling for the last few weeks.

“I know you’re thinking only of yourself! You have always known being with Blaine would be like this. It always has been like this. Did you ever stop to think about how hard it’s been on Blaine? The moving, the wedding planning, your career, constantly needing something from someone and not knowing if he was going to get it or not. It’s all hard on him, and he can’t process things like you can. But he sucks it up and deals with it to make you happy.” Rachel glared at him as her words sunk in. 

Before Kurt had the chance to respond, there was a knock on the door and it opened to reveal Burt, looking at them cautiously.

“Everything alright in here? I heard yelling.” He stood in the doorway looking concerned and tired. Kurt sighed and shook his head, hugging his arms around himself and he walked over to the window on the far side of the room.

“Rachel, can you give us a minute?” asked Kurt. 

She huffed and stormed out of the room, pausing briefly to wish Burt good luck before closing the door behind her.

Burt entered the room slowly, his hands in his pockets as he observed his son’s posture. Then he crossed it and rested his hand on Kurt’s shoulder, in an attempt at a comforting gesture.

“Having second thoughts?” asked Burt. 

“Yes. I feel terrible, but I am. I’m starting to think you were right all along,” said Kurt. He leaned into his father’s touch and fought back the tears that were forming in his eyes. 

“Well you picked a horrible time to decide that, kiddo. After Blaine’s parents spent all this money on your dream wedding,” joked Burt. He chuckled softly until he caught the glare Kurt sent him. “Sorry. What was I right about? From where I’m standing, you’ve already proven me wrong, Kurt. You and Blaine have something special. You can’t give up on it now.”

“I just…sometimes I think maybe you were right about us not being equals. I used to dream about marrying some handsome, smart, successful guy who would take me out and buy me dinner and take me shopping, or having a candlelight dinner waiting for me at home. I love Blaine, deep down in my heart what I feel for him I could never feel for anyone else. But what if marrying him because of a feeling isn’t enough?” 

“Now hold on a minute.” Burt pulled over two chairs and motioned for Kurt to sit in one across from him. He sat down and leaned forward toward his son. “Are you telling me you don’t think Blaine is handsome, smart, and successful?”

“No that’s not –” 

“You’re going to downplay his every accomplishment up to this point just because the things he has to work hard for are the things you take for granted every day? Your education, your freedom, your independence. You’ve been handed those things and he’s had them taken away from him. Maybe I didn’t always think this was the right thing for you, but I’ve had some time to watch him fight for what was stolen from him. And trust me, Kurt. He’s not doing it for himself. He’s doing it for you.”

Kurt looked down at the floor, letting his dad’s words sink in. He was finally starting to realize the problem wasn’t Blaine, it was him. In the beginning, he had always fought for Blaine because he could see how much Blaine struggled. Somewhere along the way, he had stopped thinking of things from Blaine’s point of view and started focusing only on himself.

“If you love Blaine that much, that’s all you need to build a marriage from. You worry about the other stuff later. It will all come in time,” said Burt. “When I first married your mother, love was all we had. We didn’t even have a real place to live. All we had was each other and we built our lives from there up. When you love someone that much, all you need is each other. That’s what you told me when you said you were moving to New York with him. And I’m telling you that now.”

Kurt nodded, then looked up. He was still fighting the tears in his eyes, still torn over the right thing to do. He loved Blaine so much, and nothing would ever change that. And his dad was right, he had been downplaying Blaine’s accomplishments, forgetting to tell him how good he was doing, instead just wishing he would hurry up and get better faster. That was only part of his problem.

“I keep screwing up, though. I keep hurting him or forgetting him and every time I do, I just feel like such a failure. Like I don’t deserve him. But then he looks at me like I walk on water, and it’s easy to forget. Then I screw up even more, because I’m trying to keep up with my world and slow down for his at the same time,” admitted Kurt. It almost made him feel like maybe he and Blaine weren’t compatible, though deep down he knew that wasn’t true.

“Then maybe you should stop thinking about your world and his as two different things. Maybe you should create a world together, right in the middle,” said Burt.

Kurt opened his mouth to speak, but he was speechless. Burt pushed himself out of his chair and headed out of the room to leave Kurt with his thoughts, pausing for a moment beside Kurt.

“Why don’t you just take a minute and remember how happy Blaine makes you?” Burt patted his son’s shoulder once more, then left the room. When Kurt heard the door click shut, he knew once again he was alone. 

He closed his eyes, trying to do as Burt said and remember how happy he was around Blaine. He smiled as the first thing he imagined was Blaine smiling, waiting by the door for him to come home after a long day at school. Then the mental image flashed to walking through the park after a cold winter snow, helping Blaine build a snowman, then having a snowball fight. He remembered adjusting to life in the loft, feeling relief every time he could just make Blaine laugh. He remembered walking hand in hand going on dates in the city, Blaine being in awe by anything and everything around him. He remembered Blaine’s comforting arms around him after Finn died. He remembered the warm touch of Blaine’s hands on his skin as they made love, passionate and slow, enjoying every slick slide of skin as they moved together. 

Thinking of loving Blaine didn’t conjure feelings of inadequacy or annoyance. The memories made him feel warm inside, and for the first time in a while he smiled when thinking of Blaine. He shivered as he felt the ghost of Blaine’s fingertips on his body and at the memory of his warm breath against his neck. His arms felt empty as they ached to hold Blaine’s compact body close. 

Running away wasn’t the answer. He couldn’t leave Blaine. He didn’t need to call things off, he just needed a vacation. He needed to get married and go on his honeymoon and enjoy a real vacation. He needed to separate from reality and focus on him and Blaine, without the cloud of everything else hanging over his head. He needed to slow down and take the time to just think and enjoy and live. 

Suddenly he felt so stupid for all the things he had said and felt. This was his wedding day, and somewhere in that very building his soulmate was waiting for him to get married. None of the other stuff mattered. None of the stress, none of the excuses about Blaine’s condition, nothing. All that mattered was that he was a man in love and he was in love with Blaine.

Wiping his eyes, Kurt took a deep breath before returning to his seat in front of the mirror. He wanted to look his very best for Blaine, because they were getting married today.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The wedding is next, I'll have it up in a couple of days!


	11. Kurt and Blaine Get Married

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> How Kurt and Blaine met, then a wedding and fun on the honeymoon.

_October 19, 2011_

_Glee practice was over and it was Kurt’s turn to clean up the choir room. He didn’t really mind. Sometimes he enjoyed the time to himself to just unwind at the end of the day. Senior year at McKinley was off to a decent enough start, as far as school years in Lima go. He had friends, the glee club, and classes he actually enjoyed. Bullying had been kept to a minimum – rumor had it the jocks had found someone else to pick on – and he was actually on track to win the election for senior class president. This was his last year of captivity and he was determined to be positive about it._

_He hummed to himself as he stacked chairs under the dimmed lights of the choir room. Most of the school was empty by this time, and it startled him when the door clicked open. He turned quickly and watched as a small, timid figure entered the room and hurried over to the piano. They pushed back the cover on the piano and plopped down on the bench, their fingers poised to begin playing._

_“Excuse me,” said Kurt. He readied his best bitch face to try to scare this intruder out of the room. “You’re not supposed to be here.”_

_The boy at the piano didn’t look up. He rested his trembling hands on the ivory keys and played a simple tune. Kurt stepped closer to see his face better, and instantly recognized the dark curly hair on top of the boy’s head. He saw it three times a day in the classes he shared with the boy, who was almost never looking up from his desk always in the back of the room._

_“I know you,” said Kurt. He looked down at him, watching his fingers press the piano keys so lightly they barely made any sound at all. “Your name is Blaine.”_

_The boy’s fingers froze and Kurt swore he could see a little nod of his head. He still didn’t look up._

_“My name is Kurt. Kurt Hummel. We have classes together,” said Kurt. He held out a hand as he introduced himself. The boy finally raised his head, just enough to look at Kurt’s hand. He made no move to touch it. “I hear the things that people say about you, but I don’t believe them. You’re not stupid, you’re just shy, aren’t you?”_

_Blaine bit his lip, staring at Kurt’s hand. He finally brought his own hand up, gently nudging the tips of his fingers against Kurt’s, then dropping his hand back down to his lap. He still didn’t look up._

_“Okay…well then. I’ve got to finish up. You’re not really supposed to be here, but I won’t tell anyone if you play me something nice.” Kurt smiled, trying not to come across as flirty to the timid boy. His hands went back up and rested on the keys, and he began to play. Kurt had never heard the song before, and he assumed Blaine was just making it up as he went. Whatever it was, it was beautiful, and Kurt smiled as he kept stacking chairs. He left when he was finished, and Blaine still played long after his audience was gone._

_The next day Kurt arrived at his history class a few minutes early and spotted the curly haired boy sitting in the back. Before he could think twice, he walked along the aisles of desks and slid into the one beside Blaine. The boy didn’t look up, he just stared down at his textbook, which was upside down and open to a random page._

_“Hi Blaine,” said Kurt._

_The boy raised his head slightly, just enough for Kurt to catch a glimpse of his big hazel eyes. Blaine curled in on himself a little more and turned back to looking at the book in front of him._

_“Mrs. Pine is assigning project partners today. Maybe we could work together, if you’d like?” asked Kurt, trying to put on his most welcoming smile._

_“What do, what do you w-want from, from me?” Blaine questioned, his voice small and defensive, like he couldn’t stand someone getting close to him. Kurt wondered briefly if this was the boy the bullies had turned to._

_“You just seem lonely. Like you could use a friend,” offered Kurt, trying to sound kind._

_“No one wants, wants to, to be my friend,” muttered Blaine. “’M too stupid.”_

_“I bet you’re not. I bet you just need someone to believe in you,” said Kurt. He hesitantly reached across the gap between them and placed his hand on Blaine’s forearm. Blaine flinched at first at the touch, but then relaxed and stared at Kurt’s hand. A moment of silence passed between them, and then Blaine moved his other hand and gently rested it on top of Kurt’s. The touch sent a shock through Kurt’s hand and up his arm, and he gasped softly._

_“Do you?” asked Blaine, raising his head enough so that for the first time Kurt could truly see his face._

_“Yeah,” said Kurt. “Yeah, I believe in you. Everyone deserves a chance. So, um, what do you say? Want to be project partners?”_

_Kurt slipped his hand away and watched as Blaine’s hand stayed on his arm, covering the place where Kurt’s hand had been._

_“Yes,” said Blaine softly._

_Kurt smiled and settled into his seat as class started. He watched Blaine out of the corner of his eye. He had a good feeling about this boy, like they could be very good friends._

…………………………

Blaine bounced happily as he fiddled with the buttons on his jacket. His fingers were too shaky to tie his bowtie, so Cooper was doing it for him. Mama had already styled his hair and Daddy had helped him get into his pants and shirt. It had been a long time since he needed help getting dressed, but he was so excited he could hardly focus. It felt like his brain was short circuiting and before he finished one thought, a new one was forming. 

His whole body was trembling with nervous jitters, and it was making his heart beat faster and even his hormones seemed to be acting up a little. Maybe that was because he hadn’t had sex in two weeks and there was the promise of lots of it on the honeymoon. There was nothing in the world that could wipe the grin off his face, because he was getting married to the love of his life.

“How are you feeling, Blainey?” asked Cooper as he straightened his bowtie, then smoothed his hands over Blaine’s shoulder, brushing some lint off his jacket.

“Nervous. Excited. And a little horny,” said Blaine. He looked at himself in the full body mirror and smiled at what he saw. He had never seen himself look so good. His tux flattered his wide shoulders and narrow waist, and his hair was styled the way Kurt liked, and his pants were fitted in all the right places. If he looked this good, he could only imagine how good Kurt looked.

“Be careful what you think about, buddy. You don’t want your little Blaine to make an appearance during the ceremony.” Cooper laughed and patted his back before leaving him alone with is reflection.

Blaine blushed when he realized his pants had begun to tighten from the way his thoughts were heading. He shifted and reached down to adjust himself, hoping he could keep himself in check through the wedding. He jumped slightly when his Daddy came over and put a hand on his back, and he blushed a shade darker as the older Anderson chuckled.

“Everything alright, Blaine?” asked Jack. 

Blaine looked up at him and nodded. He always wondered how come Cooper and Daddy got to be so tall, but he was so little. It was okay that he was little, though. He fit into Kurt’s arms better that way.

“I’m nervous,” said Blaine, shaking his hands and bouncing on his toes again. Jack chuckled and took his hand, guiding him over to two chairs and sitting beside him. 

“That’s understandable. I can’t tell you how nervous I was when I was about to marry your mom. But the moment I saw her walking down the aisle in that beautiful dress, I knew I was about to marry the love of my life. Now here we are, thirty-four years later, and I can’t imagine a day without her.” Jack smiled as Blaine listened to him intently.

Blaine’s eyes drifted closed as he imagined having a marriage just like his parents’. He never thought anyone would go together as perfect as Mama and Daddy, and just the thought of being that happy with Kurt gave him a thrill he couldn’t describe.

“I want us to be just like you and Mama,” said Blaine.

“And you will. You and Kurt, you guys are the real deal,” said Jack. His expression turned serious for a moment and he reached across to take Blaine’s hand, knowing that physical contact helped to keep his son’s attention. “I gotta be honest with you. I really never thought this day would come. When you were young, I almost didn’t even bother to tell you about sex because I didn’t think you’d find anyone who would want you that way.”

Blaine looked at Jack, surprised at what he was hearing. He always thought his parents had more faith in him than the rest of the world combined.

“When you found Kurt, I was so relieved. I was happy to see you smiling, to see you in love, and to see you with someone who doesn’t care that you’re different. He’s helped you become an incredible man, and now I can't believe I ever thought you couldn’t have this. I am so proud of how far you have come. You are the strongest man I have ever met. I am proud that you are my son.” Jack squeezed his hand, then let it go. The physical contact wasn’t broken for long. Blaine surged out of his chair and met Jack in a tight embrace.

“I love you, Daddy,” said Blaine, his voice muffled by Jack’s neck as he pressed close to him. Jack wrapped his arm around his son and held him tight, giving in and pulling him even closer. Twice Jack had almost lost Blaine, once when he was first born and then again with the accident. Every struggle, every hospital bill, every tear shed was worth it to be holding Blaine like this on his wedding day.

A knock on the door pulled them apart, and Santana and Viv entered the room. They both had smiles on their faces, and Blaine grinned when he saw Santana in her dress. Both he and Kurt had decided to forgo having a best man or any of that, and each chose three people stand beside them as their closest friends. Blaine had chosen Cooper, Santana, and Miranda. Kurt had chosen Rachel, Elliott, and Carole. His third spot was really for Finn, since the two of them had promised to be each other’s best men at their weddings, but Kurt had asked Carole to stand in his place.

Everyone had matching dresses, and Blaine had found it amusing watching Kurt pick out dresses that he, Rachel, and Santana could all agree on. Luckily Miranda would wear anything. She was just pleasantly surprised that he had asked her. Santana looked gorgeous, though, and she came over to him to give him a tight hug. 

“You look so good, nugget,” she said, grinning as she squeezed him so tight he let out a little squeak.

“Tanaaaa!” He whined and wiggled out of her arms, then smoothed out his jacket.

“Are you ready to get married?!” She asked him excitedly, reaching up to smooth back a curl that had sprung loose from its gel confines.

“Yes!” Blaine beamed happily, bouncing again as he realized he was minutes away from getting married to his Kurt.

“Well then you better get your cute butt out there! It’s almost time to start, and everyone is taking their seats. I was just in to see Kurt, and he looks perfect,” Santana told him. 

Blaine felt his heart skip and he grinned. He couldn’t wait to see Kurt. The whole day they had spent apart had been torture when all he wanted to do was see and touch and feel his soon to be husband. Only seeing Kurt would soothe his nerves.

Viv came over to give him a quick hug, then reached for his hand. He smiled at her, and was surprised to see her look as nervous as he felt. Her eyes were shining with tears and he felt his heart thud in his chest. He hated seeing his Mama cry, but he could tell they were happy tears.

“Are you ready?” she asked, squeezing his hand tight. 

Blaine nodded. He was more than ready. Jack gave him another quick hug before leaving the room, and Santana did the same. Viv straightened his tie once more and tugged his jacket down, fussing over his appearance a little more. Finally, she was satisfied and she took his hand once more, leading him to the door. It was time.

The music started as soon as he entered the main room where the wedding was taking place. Every seat was filled with every family member, friend, and acquaintance Kurt or Blaine had ever had. Blaine trembled nervously as Cooper walked down the aisle first, his arm linked with Carole’s. They reached the altar and separated. Next came Santana and Rachel, managing smiles despite their proximity as they made their way down the aisle. And lastly came Miranda and Elliott. When they reached the end, Blaine’s heart thudded heavily in his chest. Now it was his turn.

He felt Mama’s arm slip through his and he hugged it tight. Everyone in the whole room turned to watch him, and all those eyes looking right at him made him even more nervous as he walked slowly, making sure to pick up his feet with every step so that he didn’t trip. He felt Mama’s hand on his, grounding him in the moment as they finally made it to the altar. A nervous breath escaped him and he gave her a quick, tight hug and a kiss on the cheek, before standing in the spot just in front of Cooper.

He almost forgot what was supposed to happen next until he felt a nudge from Cooper, who then pointed to where Kurt had just entered. Blaine’s eyes widened and his lips parted in awe as his eyes landed on Kurt. He felt his knees grow weak and shaky as Kurt began to walk toward him, his arm looped around his dad’s. Kurt looked so handsome. His tux flattered his trim waist and made his long legs look impossibly longer. He was glowing, his cheeks tinged a light pink and his eyes sparkling as he met Blaine’s. Blaine nearly let out a whimper at how beautiful and enticing Kurt looked. This man was going to be his husband. Blaine didn’t know how he got so lucky.

A few more steps and Kurt was right in front of him, reaching for his hand. His fingertips felt tingly as they touched Kurt’s skin. He could hear talking but he wasn’t sure who was talking or what they were talking about. All he could focus on was Kurt smiling at him like he was the best thing in the world. Kurt’s smile was so beautiful, and Blaine started to feel that horny feeling bubbling up inside him again. Unable to hide his blush, he forced himself to focus on something else before he embarrassed himself.

The officiant was a woman with a soft, but powerful voice. She was speaking to them, but nothing was really making sense to Blaine. Not when Kurt was looking at him like he was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen, anyway. After a few minutes of speaking, Blaine realized the woman and everyone else around him were looking at him expectantly. He panicked, because he hadn’t really been paying attention and he didn’t know what they wanted.

Cooper leaned forward and whispered in his ear, “Say your vows.” 

Blaine nodded and reached into the inside pocket of his jacket and pulled out a piece of paper. His eyes scanned the words and he tried so hard to focus on them. His hands were shaking to the point where he could hardly see individual words. Suddenly Kurt’s hands were on his, reaching across the gap between them and holding him study. Blaine glanced up and caught Kurt’s encouraging smile, and his heart pounded quickly as he got up the courage to read what he had written.

“Kurt. I, um, when we met, you were my first friend ever. But it was more. You were so kind and patient with me. You showed me how to love, and be loved. And, and even though it’s not always easy, not with me being the way, way I am, you’re still here. You’re always here, and it means so, means so much to me. I promise I will always love you, and I will do my best to be the man you deserve. I promise to be the best I can be, to keep fighting this, these limits so that I can be yours, always.” 

He finished and folded up the paper, tucking it back into his pocket. He heard a sniffle and looked up, seeing Kurt smiling at him with tears in his eyes. The tears worried Blaine for moment until Kurt wiped his eyes and took Blaine’s hand again.

“I had something written down, but when I was waiting to come out I thought of something better to say,” began Kurt. He looked right into Blaine’s eyes, and Blaine focused on every word Kurt said, absorbing it into his memory as best he could. “You are an incredible man, Blaine. I have always seen in you an amazing potential. Sometimes I push you too hard, but you always bounce right back. I have always admired your strength, it is one of the best things about you. One of the things that made me love you right from the start. You make me so happy, and the first thing I vow to do is to tell you that as often as I can, and I promise to tell you I love you just as often. I promise to show you how very proud I am of your ever accomplishment, and to support you whether you succeed or fail. Most of all, I promise to slow myself down for you, so that I’m not living in your world and my world as two separate lives, but living in one world, our world, together, so that I can treasure every minute I spend with you for the rest of our lives.”

Blaine felt tears forming in his eyes as he listened, and now he understood why Kurt was crying. Kurt’s words were beautiful, and on this day they meant more to him than anything. Kurt gave Blaine’s hand a little squeeze, and he realized the officiant needed his attention once more.

“Do you, Blaine Devon Anderson, take Kurt to be your lawfully wedded husband?” 

Blaine nodded so fast he felt dizzy, and Kurt chuckled beside him. “I do!”

“And do you, Kurt Elizabeth Hummel, take Blaine to be your lawfully wedded husband?”

Kurt grinned and said, without hesitation, “I do.”

Next they exchanged rings, and both of them were shaking equally. Blaine was pleased to find out he wasn’t the only one buzzing with excitement as he slipped the shining silver band on Kurt’s finger. His own hand tingled as Kurt took it in his and slipped a matching silver band on his finger, and the cold metal centered him in the reality of it all. Kurt was now his husband.

The officiant announced, “I now pronounce you married! You may kiss!”

And suddenly Kurt was pulling him forward so quickly Blaine nearly lost his balance. Their lips slammed together and Blaine gasped in surprise. Kurt took the opportunity to deepen the kiss, drawing out a little moan from Blaine as his already active hormones got a jump start. Kurt broke the kiss after a few seconds, and the whole room was cheering for them. Blaine grinned and held on to Kurt’s arm to keep him steady as they began to walk back down the aisle. 

Blaine was so happy, he was finally married to the love of his life.

………………………….

_When I fall in love_  
 _It will be forever_  
 _Or I’ll never fall in love_

_In a restless world like this is_  
 _Love is ended before it’s begun_  
 _And too many moonlight kisses_  
 _Seem to cool in the warmth of the sun_

_When I give my heart_  
 _It will be completely_  
 _Or I’ll never give my heart_

_And the moment_  
 _I can feel that_  
 _You feel that way too_  
 _Is when I fall in love with you_

The gentle, encompassing sound of the strings filled the air as the newly married couple stepped out onto the dance floor. Blaine’s arms slipped around Kurt’s waist as Kurt held him close around the shoulders. Their bodies swayed to the soft beat of the music as Blaine pressed his face into Kurt’s neck. Some couples did exciting entrances or shocked guests with upbeat dances, but this was not for their guests. This dance was for them.

Kurt pressed a soft kiss to the warm skin just under Blaine’s ear, feeling how solid his husband felt in his arms. They moved slowly, their feet moving just so and their bodies always staying close. Kurt felt the soft flutter of Blaine’s eyelashes against his skin, and the curve of his lips as he smiled. 

The fact that he had even considered not doing this today baffled him. He could not imagine being anywhere but there, holding his new husband in his arms and feeling like the whole universe was centered around them as the music surrounded them. It was all so romantic and lovely, better than Kurt had ever dreamed of. He knew he wouldn’t ever tell Blaine about what had happened before the wedding, so he pushed the memory of it out of his mind, along with any thoughts of those “dream guys” he might have had before he met Blaine. The only guy he needed and wanted was his husband.

“I love you,” Kurt whispered, right into Blaine’s ear. Blaine hummed softly and kissed the sensitive skin of his neck. Kurt smiled and held him closely, then blushed a little when he felt just how much Blaine was enjoying their proximity.

The song faded to a close and everyone applauded. Kurt felt Blaine move to pull away, but he tugged him closer. Someone got the hint and started up another slow song, and Blaine settled back into his arms. A soft little whimper escaped his lips as he looked up at Kurt.

“When do we go on the honeymoon?” he asked softly, his eyes darkening with lust. Kurt chuckled softly and kissed him.

“Not for a while. We’ve got to enjoy our party. There’s still dinner and cake to eat,” said Kurt. He moved them apart just enough so their hips weren’t touching. “Just think of that time you walked in on Santana in the shower.”

Blaine scrunched up his face and Kurt chuckled softly. 

“That worked,” said Blaine. “Guess I just have to think of her boobs.”

“That’s the trick.” Kurt laughed and kissed him once more as the song ended and melded into another. 

Burt came over and cleared his throat gently, then held out his hand to Kurt. “May I have this dance?” 

Both Blaine and Kurt nodded, and Kurt moved off to dance with Burt, while Blaine was swept away into Viv’s arms. 

“You look happy,” said Burt. “That’s a big change from this morning.”

“I’m trying to forget how stupid I was,” said Kurt. “I can’t believe I almost forgot how happy he makes me. I mean. Look at him. He’s perfect. And he’s my husband. And I’m so in love with him. Maybe more now than ever.”

Burt smiled and nodded as they danced slowly. Burt wasn’t well enough yet to really dance, but he had to at least give it a try at his son’s wedding. Kurt kept looking over his shoulders to see Blaine, now dancing with his father, who was laughing as he stumbled, a little too clumsy to be dancing quickly. Kurt laughed softly and Burt turned around to see, then rolled his eyes.

“Alright, go back to him, kiddo,” chuckled Burt. Kurt thanked him and hurried over to Blaine. His husband was all he could think about, especially the fact that he could now call him his husband. 

Eventually they moved on from dancing to have dinner, and then more dancing, and then they cut the cake. Thanks to some encouragement from Cooper, Blaine smooshed cake all over Kurt’s face, which Kurt then did in return. They laughed, then cleaned up and enjoyed their party for a few more hours until they had to call it a night and head out. After stopping by the apartment to gather their things, they got in the limo waiting for them to take them where a private cabin awaited them upstate. 

They couldn’t go too far for their honeymoon. Kurt had thought of traveling to Paris or anywhere in Europe really, but the strangeness of a different culture was hard enough on someone who could handle different environments. He didn’t want to spend the whole time worrying about Blaine, so they chose somewhere secluded, yet close enough to home that if anything happened they would be okay.

Blaine seemed to behave himself the whole two hour drive, holding Kurt’s hand and looking out the window. About an hour into the drive, he started to get a little shifty in his seat, but a few kisses from Kurt seemed to calm him. Kurt was not immune to the hormones that were thrumming through Blaine’s body. He could feel them as well, itching under his skin, driving him to kiss, touch, feel. But Kurt ignored them, much like Blaine was trying to.

At last they arrived and unloaded their bags. Once inside, they barely got through the door and set their things down before Blaine pressed Kurt up against the wall. They kissed greedily as Blaine’s trembling fingers fumbled with the buttons on Kurt’s clothes. Kurt could feel in the urgency of his movements that Blaine was driven by pure instinct. Instead of fighting it or trying to slow him down, Kurt simply pulled him toward the bedroom of the cabin and let himself be pushed down on the bed.

He managed to get Blaine to pause long enough to get them both undressed, but then Blaine was climbing over him, pressing hot kisses all over his chest. Kurt moaned as he slipped his fingers into Blaine’s hair, arching toward his mouth as Blaine captured a nipple between his lips, sucking and licking until it hardened beneath his tongue.

Kurt could feel Blaine, hard as a rock, and pressing against his hip as Blaine rutted desperately. He wrapped his legs around Blaine’s waist to draw him closer, rubbing his hands down Blaine’s back, digging into the compact muscles. Blaine let out a low growl as he hooked his hands under Kurt’s knees and pushed his legs up, nearly bending Kurt in half as his hips searched to press his cock to Kurt’s hole. 

“Blaine…Blaine, relax, honey wait.” Kurt panted as he grabbed for Blaine’s hand. Blaine grunted and looked up at him, his forehead already glistening with sweat. “Fingers first. Lube and fingers.”

Blaine nodded and pulled back, looking around but not really knowing what he was looking for. Kurt motioned to his jacket, lying on the floor, and Blaine retrieved it for him. Fishing around inside it, Kurt produced a travel sized bottle of lube. He popped the cap and squirted some on Blaine’s hand, then rolled back over as Blaine nudged him into his previous position.

Kurt gasped as he felt Blaine’s fingers smearing the lube around between his cheeks, slicking him up before working one finger inside of him. 

“Oh, Blaine,” moaned Kurt, gripping the bedcovers as Blaine thrust his finger in and out slowly. Kurt looked down at his husband, watching the way Blaine seemed entranced by the sight of his finger sliding in and out of Kurt. 

He worked a second finger in, focusing on stretching him quickly, but not so fast it hurt him. Kurt let out a high pitched noise of pleasure as a third finger worked its way in, and as soon as Blaine could thrust them in and out easily, he pulled out and grabbed for the lube. He hissed as the cold fluid dribbled on his cock, then wasted no time in lining himself up to Kurt’s hole and pushing in.

Kurt moaned as Blaine pushed in all the way, then leaned over to kiss Kurt, hot and wet and sloppy as he began to move his hips. He quickly lost control and began to move faster, pressing his open mouth to Kurt’s skin, just breathing him in as he thrust faster and harder. Kurt held on, gasping as Blaine’s hand slid between them and wrapped around his cock.

Blaine’s movements quickened into a steady rhythm as he mouthed over Kurt’s skin and jerked his cock in time with this thrusts. He was relentless as he let his instincts take over and soon his hips began to jerk and stutter, losing the rhythm as he got close. Kurt gasped as Blaine moaned his name and came inside him hard, his cock throbbing as burst after burst of hot fluid filled him.

Blaine’s shaky arms held him long enough to pull out, then roll over beside Kurt. He panted harshly and it took him a moment to realize Kurt hadn’t come with him. He murmured soft apologizes and tried to sit up enough to reach for Kurt’s cock, but Kurt pushed him back down.

“Shh, just rest, honey,” Kurt said with a kiss as he tried to catch his breath. “It’s okay. I wanted you get that out of your system. Now we can take it slow.”

Kurt pressed Blaine into the bed and peppered his chest and neck with gentle little kisses. Blaine hummed softly and let his head fall back and his eyes close as Kurt sucked on the tight skin over his collarbone. He pressed his nose into the damp skin of Blaine’s shoulders, then moved up to lick the shell of his ear.

“Now, I’m going to make love to you,” whispered Kurt, right in his ear. 

Blaine gasped and wiggled beneath Kurt, sliding his hands up Kurt’s sides and over his shoulders, holding on to him tightly. He groaned as Kurt’s hard cock bumped against his hip, and Kurt smirked against his skin as he glanced down to see Blaine’s cock twitching, trying to get hard again.

“Mmm…Kurt,” Blaine moaned, digging his fingers into Kurt’s shoulders and arching into his touch. Now with the urgency gone after the satisfaction of his first orgasm, Blaine was loose and pliant in Kurt’s arms, ready to go slower. Kurt knelt between Blaine’s legs and met his lips, kissing him slow and deep. Blaine melted into the bed as he hung on to Kurt tight. Their bodies moved together slowly as they kissed, little happy sounds of pleasure escaped Blaine’s mouth every minute or so.

When his lips were swollen and tender, Kurt finally pulled back, staring down into Blaine’s eyes. They were warm and half closed, matching the lazy smile on his face. Kurt brought a hand up and caressed Blaine’s jaw.

“My beautiful husband,” whispered Kurt softly. Blaine’s smile grew into a full blown grin. 

“Husband,” repeated Blaine. “I like that. You’re my husband.”

Kurt chuckled softly and pressed another soft kiss to the corner of his mouth, then reached for the tube of lube. Blaine was spread his legs as Kurt slid his hand down between them, gently fondling his half-hard cock, then his balls, then sliding his hand further down. Blaine let out a happy little sigh as Kurt’s fingers circled his hole. Kurt had done this a few times over the years, but they didn’t often have the time or the patience for it. Blaine always enjoyed it, and it was special. 

He slowly worked one finger in, then two, stretching him open. Blaine arched and let out a little cry as Kurt crooked his fingers and rubbed against the sweet spot inside him. Kurt did it a few more times, until Blaine was moaning and his cock hard and twitching against the gentle curve of his belly. Kurt worked one more finger inside him to stretch him before he slicked up his cock and replaced his fingers with it.

He pushed in slowly, giving Blaine time to adjust to his size. Blaine was relaxed, but still tight and it was like heaven around his cock. He smiled down at him, rubbing his hands over his body and watching a look of pure bliss come over his face. Pushing in all the way, Kurt stilled his hips and dragged his fingers through the soft hair on Blaine’s belly, savoring the way Blaine clenched around him and let out another moan.

When Kurt couldn’t take it anymore, he began his slow thrusting. Blaine rocked his hips up to meet each thrust and their bodies found a slow, sensual rhythm. Kurt leaned down to kiss Blaine, wrapping his arms around him and holding him close as he snapped his hips forward hard ever few thrusts. 

They moved together for what seemed like hours, drowning in the pleasure of each other’s bodies. Blaine looked like he was in another world, one filled with bliss and pleasure and Kurt all around him, encompassing his body. Soon, Kurt’s hips began to stutter, their movements becoming faster and more erratic.

He slid a hand down and wrapped it around Blaine’s cock, tugging as erratically as his thrusts.

“Fuck Blaine, wanna feel you. Wanna feel you come around me,” moaned Kurt, brushing his thumb over the head of Blaine’s cock, then jerking him quickly.

“Oh, oh!” Blaine cried out as he dug his fingers into Kurt’s back and buried his face in Kurt’s neck. A few more strokes of Kurt’s hand and one more brush against his prostate and he was coming hard, white streaks all over his belly and Kurt’s hand. 

His muscles clenched tight around Kurt’s cock, and Kurt groaned as he pushed his hips forward and buried himself deep inside Blaine as he came. His eyes nearly rolled back as his orgasm kept hitting him with wave after wave of pleasure.

At last, he began to come down from the aftershocks and pulled out of Blaine slowly. He wiped his hand covered in Blaine’s come on the bed, then curled up beside his husband. Both of them were too sated and boneless to bother getting up. 

“Today was the best day of my life,” said Blaine, pulling Kurt closer and kissing him softly.

“Mine too,” said Kurt, smiling. He wrapped his arms around Blaine and held him close. “Thank you.”

“For what?” Blaine yawned, then looked at him tiredly.

“For making me so happy.” Kurt smiled and watched as Blaine blinked up at him, already slipping off into a sated slumber. He pushed the sweaty curls off Blaine’s forehead and snuggled in close to him. Why Kurt had ever had second thoughts about marrying this man was a complete mystery to him. Nothing could come close to the wonderful love they shared.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kurt and Blaine's first dance song: When I Fall in Love by Nat King Cole


	12. Blaine Takes A Fall

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Blaine has a little accident, Santana has some news, and Blaine discovers a new gift.

_August 21, 2022_

Kurt was at rehearsal, no phones allowed, when he got the call. He didn’t get it right away, and he would hate himself for a good while because of it. He figured Blaine was safe with his brother for the day, and nothing could possibly go wrong. When Kurt had landed yet another role on Broadway and his life became consumed by rehearsal, he and Blaine had sat down like a real, mature married couple and agreed Kurt would be home by a certain time no matter what, and Blaine would never not be where he told Kurt he was going to be. During the day, Kurt was free to focus on rehearsal without worry about Blaine at all.

Except one day he wasn’t. 

He made it back to his dressing room with a sweat towel around his neck and a cold bottle of water in his hand. His thighs ached from the rigorous dance practice and his body was tired, but he had saved just enough stamina left to go home and surprise Blaine with a round of spontaneous sex. Pulling the towel off his neck and tossing it on a chair, he dug around in his bag for his phone. 

His brow furrowed when he saw he had twenty-four missed calls, ten voicemails, and fifty-seven text messages. Bypassing the texts, he went straight for the voicemails. The first was from Cooper, over three hours ago. He tapped it and listened.

“ _I sure hope you get this. Call me back. Something’s happened._ ”

Kurt felt his heart skip as he desperately clicked on the next voicemail from Cooper, needing to hear the news

“ _Fuck, Kurt, take a break and answer your phone! We’re at the hospital, a couple blocks from my place. Blaine’s hurt._ ”

As if on autopilot, he shoved his phone into his bag along with the rest of his things. Not even bothering to change out of his sweaty rehearsal clothes, he hurried out of the theater and hailed the first cab he could. The first call had been three hours ago, and Kurt feared the worst. What if he was too late? 

………………………….

_September 8, 2003_

_“Blaine. Blaine, please stay still, honey.” Viv gently tried to force Blaine’s arms through his shirt. She hadn’t had this much trouble with him since he was a squirmy toddler. His whole face scrunched up in distaste as he tried to pull away from her, a whine building steadily in his throat the more she tried to force the issue._

_Viv pulled the unhappy boy into her lap and finally coaxed his arm through the hole of his shirt. Blaine let out a loud scream and tried to push her away before grabbing at his still mostly bald head. Viv cringed and tried to pull his hands away before he scratched at the bandage covering the wound from his last surgery._

_“There! All dressed!” said Viv cheerily as she pressed a kiss to Blaine’s cheek. He made an unhappy noise before burying his face into Viv’s chest and hugging her tight. His mood swings were almost impossible to deal with some days, but they all forced themselves to have patience._

_Blaine had to relearn everything. He recognized some people and he knew his own name, but he had to relearn how to walk, eat, and even use the toilet. They were still working on talking. It was a very slow process, often plagued by days where Blaine’s pain level was so high the only right thing to do was let the pain medication draw him into sleep._

_“Blainey, are you ready for physical therapy?” asked Viv, hugging him tight to her._

_“No,” he replied, muffled by her shirt._

_“But you have to go, sweetie. It will help you get better.”_

_“Fine.” Blaine pulled back enough to look up at her with his round, hazel eyes. She brushed her thumb over the smooth skin of his cheek, wiping off an imaginary speck. He leaned into the touch._

_“Alright, let’s go.” She stood and hoisted him up in her arms, holding him against her hip. At eight years old, he should have been heavy. But he had always been small and eight comatose weeks had made him smaller yet._

_The two of them made their way out of the bathroom and through the private hospital room that had become Blaine’s home since the accident. They headed down the hall to the elevator, Blaine waving and smiling shyly as they passed one of his nurses, who waved back happily. When they got to the elevator, Blaine reached for the buttons. Viv leaned down so he could reach them, and smiled when he poked the button for the fourth floor. His memory was starting to get better._

_The trip to the physical therapy wing didn’t take long, and Blaine’s usual team was there waiting for him. Viv sat back, waiting and watching, as they helped Blaine through his usual strength training stretches. It was a struggle, which wasn’t a surprise. Just like with everything else, Blaine had good days and bad days. Today was one of his bad days, and every time someone tried to help him stretch his little legs, he would kick out at them and try to wiggle away._

_“Come on Blaine,” said Dr. Ellis, keeping her voice calm and as she reached out for his hand. “We’re going to work on walking today. Remember, you made it all the way across the room last time?”_

_“No!” Blaine cried out. “No! Mama!”_

_His little face scrunched up and he tried to pull away from her, reaching out in the direction of Viv. Unable to resist her struggling son, Viv moved closer and pulled Blaine into her arms, holding him close. Her presence comforted him enough to calm him down._

_“Are you a good boy?” Viv asked softly, rubbing his back gently. Blaine nodded. “Then listen to the doctor, okay? She wants to help you.”_

_Blaine nodded again and looked down, reaching out his hand to the doctor. The older woman smiled and took it gently in hers._

_“Thank you, Blaine,” said Dr. Ellis._

_With some help from Viv, they got Blaine over to the metal bars that were customized to Blaine’s height. They were about ten feet long with three feet between them. Blaine stood at the end of them, grasping them tight in his little hands. He was unsteady on his feet, the way a toddler just gaining balance might be. Viv kneeled at the other end of the bars and urged Blaine toward her. He took one step forward confidently, then another, and then he was walking slowly._

_There was a smile on Blaine’s face as he finally made it to her, stumbling forward to give her a hug. The doctor clapped happily, cheering him on and urging him back to his feet._

_“You’re doing so well,” said Dr. Ellis. “Now do you think you could try without holding on to the bars?”_

_Blaine looked unsure, but nodded anyway. Viv stood and watched from the side now. Blaine was concentrating now and didn’t need her to interfere. He took a deep breath and took his hands off the bars, then took a step forward. Everyone leaned forward for a moment when it seemed he might be unsteady. He took another step, and then another. He began to move quicker._

_Just before he reached the end, he tripped on his toes and stumbled forward. He let out a cry as his body jerked to the side and he went colliding into one of the metal bars, his head smacking against it with a horrifying ring._

_“Blaine!” Viv cried out as she hurried over to him._

_The doctor jumped into action, calling for help as she requested that Viv stay back in the most professional voice she could, even though it was clear she was worried as well. She laid Blaine down flat on his back, comforted in the fact that he was crying. As long as he stayed conscious, it was okay._

_“My baby boy, is he okay?” cried Viv, trying to see him as nurses surrounded him. A few nurses brought in a stretcher to lift him on to it. Blaine’s cries could be heard from amidst the cluster of people, but she was still panicking. What if he hurt himself even more? What if this made the brain damage worse? What if it made it impossible for him to ever get better?_

_“Mrs. Anderson, please stay back and let us take care of him,” said Dr. Ellis. She looked at Viv sympathetically and put a hand on her arm. “Don’t worry. He’ll be okay.”_

_Viv stared at her with wide, wet eyes. The amount of times she had heard that in the last few months was starting to make her lose faith in the words._

_It was nearly three hours before Viv got to find out if Blaine really was okay after his fall. She was nervously pacing the hallway outside Blaine’s private room when the door clicked open, then closed. Dr. Williams stepped out and greeted her with a nod of the head._

_“Is he alright?” she asked, her voice trembling as she glanced at the door behind the doctor._

_“I think he’ll be fine. There’s really no way to tell if the injury to the brain is worse. We’ll monitor the swelling and hope the medicine we’ve given him will keep it from increasing. He avoided a concussion this time, which is good, since he’s still healing.”_

_“Oh thank god,” said Viv._

_“I would advise you, though, to be as careful as possible in the future, when he gets home. For now it’s impossible to tell how badly his condition will affect the rest of his life, but I would suggest that you watch him very carefully and make sure he avoids any more impacts to his head. I’m not trying to scare you or anything, but his condition is very delicate, and the next blow could be fatal.” Dr. Williams looked at her very seriously, and Viv fought to let her tears overwhelm her._

_“Oh god.” She brought a hand up to her mouth. “Can I see him now? Please, I need to see my baby.”_

_Dr. Williams nodded and stepped aside, allowing her access to the room. She hurried through the door and to Blaine’s bed, where he slept peacefully. She perched herself on the edge of his bed and held his hand, taking comfort in how warm it felt in her palm. It still pained her to watch him sleep, reminding her too much of when his waking up was uncertain. She hated seeing her son like this, and hated that something so horrible could happen to someone so innocent._

_Just thinking about what the future might have in store for Blaine made a tear fall from the corner of her eye and travel a slow path down her cheek. For now, the future didn’t seem very bright._

…………………………

_August 21, 2022_

Blaine hummed softly as he waited outside of the market for Cooper to come pick him up. His brother was taking him for lunch, and then they were going to see a real football game. He had never been to one, and sometimes he didn’t always understand it, but it was fun anyway. There was the cheering for the team (Blaine wasn’t sure which ones they were watching, he just cheered when Cooper did), and then the quality time with his big brother.

He looked at his watch, then down the street. Cooper was late, which wasn’t really that surprising. Blaine figured Cooper would be late enough to have to skip lunch anyway, so he was prepared to have to eat a greasy hot dog or something at the stadium. At last, a cab rolled up to the sidewalk and Cooper got out. He tossed some cash at the driver and thanked him, then closed the door. 

Blaine cocked his head curiously, watching as the cab drove away and wondering why Cooper let it go. 

“Hey little bro,” said Cooper, grinning as he walked up to him.

“Why?” Blaine pointed down the street where the cab had gone.

“Oh, we’re taking the subway,” said Cooper.

“But you hate the subway.” Blaine looked at him, his eyebrow raised. 

“I know I do. Too many smelly, not famous people. But it’s okay. It’s the fastest way to the stadium, I promise. And if we go right now, the train might not be too crowded and less people will be taking me away from you with their demands for autographs,” explained Cooper, flashing his best, most convincing smile at Blaine.

Blaine didn’t buy it. He rolled his eyes.

“Okay Coop,” said Blaine. “Let’s go. I worked since seven and, and I’m hungry.”

Cooper made a noise of sympathy and flung an arm around his little brother’s shoulders, keeping him close as they began to walk through the crowded sidewalk toward the subway entrance. He glared at anyone who even looked at Blaine, forever being overly protective.

“Stop, you’re scaring people,” whined Blaine, elbowing Cooper in the side.

“Oh shut up, Blainey, you love it.” Cooper pulled Blaine closer and ruffled up his hair, earning a little cry of surprise from Blaine.

“Hey! Stop!” Blaine batted his hands away. “Cooper! Took me, took me forever to, to get my hair nice!” 

“I think it’s adorable when it’s fluffy. You used to have fluffy hair all the time, then Kurt taught you how to use hair gel,” said Cooper as he smoothed the wayward curls back down. They sprung right back up, but he didn’t tell Blaine. 

“It’s better with gel,” said Blaine. The glare he gave Cooper was enough for him to keep his mouth shut on the matter. They approached the entrance down into the subway and began to head down the stairs. 

Suddenly, a man wearing a suit and talking on his phone rushed past them, clearly in a hurry. As he barreled down the stairs, his shoulder slammed into Blaine’s, catching him by surprise. The man tossed back a quick sorry and was gone before Blaine cried out, tumbling forward down the steep stairs. As he fell down the stairs to the floor, his head hit the hard cement with a dull thud.

“Blaine!” Cooper called out his to his brother as he hurried down the stairs, where Blaine was lying motionless. “Fuck, fuck, _fuck_!” He swore as he pulled Blaine out of the way of traffic, then dropped to his knees and maneuvered him by his shoulders into his lap.

With one hand he fumbled for his phone in his pocket and with the other he felt the back of Blaine’s head for any blood or open wounds. He dialed 911 and pinched the phone between his neck and cheek as he used both hands to cradle Blaine’s head. He tapped at Blaine’s cheeks, trying to get him to open his eyes. As he frantically explained the situation to the 911 operator, he felt a small sense of relief wash through him when Blaine’s eyes finally blinked open and looked up at him.

Cooper hung up and shoved the phone in his pocket, then gently stroked his hand over Blaine’s gelled hair.

“Hey, stay with me Blainey,” said Cooper, 

“What...” Blaine blinked and let out a little whimper, cringing away from Cooper’s touch. “Coop…it hurts…”

“I know. I know it does. Help is on the way. We’ll make it better, just don’t fall asleep.” Cooper pulled his hand away from Blaine’s head, instead hugging his shoulders to keep him close. Blaine turned in his arms and buried his face into Cooper’s arm, his body trembling as he cried softly and brought a hand up to hold his head. 

Cooper wasn’t sure what else to do as they waited. As long as Blaine cried in his arms, he was at least conscious. It was a few more minutes before he heard sirens. The closer they got, the louder they were, and Blaine cried harder. The noise only served to make his pain worse. Before long, there were paramedics surrounding them, asking questions and pulling Blaine away from him. Cooper answered everything without really thinking about it, and soon he was riding with Blaine in the back of the ambulance to the hospital.

…………………………….

Kurt was trembling with worry as he entered the hospital. He inquired about Blaine at the emergency room desk and was directed to another wing, where he inquired once more and then was told to wait. A few minutes later, a nurse arrived to take him to Blaine’s room, where Gina, Santana, and Veronica were all sitting around outside, talking lowly to each other. Santana stood when she saw Kurt arrive.

“Is he okay? What happened?” asked Kurt frantically.

“He fell down the stairs on the subway and hit his head,” explained Santana. 

Kurt let out a pained noise. He had been given the lecture about Blaine hitting his head several times over the years, and he knew how bad the consequences could be. 

“Can I see him?” he asked. Santana nodded and gestured toward the door across from them. Kurt took a deep breath and let himself into the room. 

There were three other beds in the room, with curtains around them for privacy. Blaine was in the back corner, his curtain half open as Cooper sat on the edge of his bed. Kurt hurried over to him, relieved to see Blaine conscious and aware. When Blaine saw him, he tiredly mustered up a half smile.

“Hi…” said Blaine weakly. He lifted up his hand, which Kurt immediately took in his.

“Shh, save your strength for getting better,” said Kurt, leaning over to kiss him very gently. He glanced over at Cooper. “What happened?”

“Some asshole bumped into him and sent him flying. I heard his head hit the ground, and I panicked. He was in and out of consciousness for a couple hours, but he woke back up on his own. It’s not serious, or he’d be in a coma already. But we have to watch him, make sure he’s acting normal.” Cooper patted Blaine’s arm softly, then stood. He looked down guiltily as he slips his hands into the pockets of his jeans. “I’ll. Um. I’ll leave you alone with him.”

Kurt nodded and let him go, and when Cooper reached the door, Kurt looked up.

“Hey, Coop?”

Cooper stopped, but didn’t say anything. He waited.

“It’s not your fault. Accidents happen.”

There was no response, but Cooper stayed standing there for a few seconds before he left. 

Kurt turned back to Blaine, who was blinking up at him sleepily.

“How do you feel, honey?” asked Kurt softly. He stroked over Blaine’s arm, just comforted by being able to touch him.

“My head hurts,” said Blaine, his voice whiny and small, and his face scrunched up as he said it. He turned away from Kurt and pressed his face into his pillow.

“I know. I was so worried when I finally got Cooper’s message. I’m so sorry I didn’t come sooner. I should have been here for you. What if something worse had happened?” Kurt wasn’t really talking to Blaine, who stared up at him blankly. He was just talking out his own guilt. He lifted Blaine’s hand up to kiss his knuckles gently, then moved to lay beside Blaine, curling his body around his.

“’m not s’posed to fall,” murmured Blaine, nuzzling his way closer to Kurt without really moving. “Doctor said, ‘m not s’posed to hit, hit my head. What, what if, if I, if it makes me worse?”

“Oh honey,” sighed Kurt. He leaned closer and kissed Blaine softly on the lips. “If something happens and you take a few steps back, then I won’t take a single step forward until you’re caught up. Remember how much I loved you when we were young? Before you became as good as you are now?”

Blaine brushed his nose against Kurt’s softly.

“I love you. Everything will be okay. I promise.”

Blaine yawned sleepily in response, then cuddled closer as his eyes closed.

“Blaine?” asked Kurt softly, a hint of concern in his voice.

“Jus’ sleepy,” muttered Blaine. “Sleepy from medicine. Nap time?”

“Of course,” said Kurt. “As long as you promise to wake up for me.”

“Promise,” said Blaine. A few seconds passed and Blaine’s breathing evened out and he fell asleep curled up beside Kurt in a hospital bed, one of many Blaine had spent too much of his life sleeping in. 

…………………………….

Viv road in the cab nervously, clutching her husband’s hand tight in both of hers. The news that her son had been hurt and was in the hospital and hit her hard. She couldn’t stop thinking in flashbacks, forever traumatized by what had happened to Blaine. When she received the phone call, she expected the worst. She always expected the worst.

“It’ll be okay,” said Jack, suddenly and out of the blue. He said it confidently. He knew, after all. He’d spoke to Cooper as soon as they got off the plane. Blaine was fine, it was just a bump on the head, he would be released from the hospital shortly. 

“Don’t say that,” said Viv. She stared out the window, at the city passing them by.

“But it’s true. By the time we get to his apartment, he’ll be there.” 

“Yes, I know, but that still doesn’t make it any better. After the accident, I heard that phrase too many times. Too many asshole doctors who didn’t know shit telling me my child was going to be okay, that the situation was okay, and that raising a child with brain damage was okay.” Viv spat out the words with lingering distaste for the entire situation. She had learned to live with it long ago, but that didn’t take away the fear and distrust that often plagued her in times like this.

“Blaine isn’t a child anymore. He’s a grown, married man with a life. You can’t keep thinking of him as that little boy who was hurt and scared. No one can protect him from life, even if he is a little more fragile than most.” Jack slipped his hand from hers and draped his arm around her, hugging her to his side. It was her that Blaine got most of his strength from, and he loved her even more for it.

The two stayed quiet until they arrived at Kurt and Blaine’s building. They got out of the cab and Jack helped the driver unload their luggage. He paid the man, then when he turned back to his wife, he caught her looking up at the city with a wistful look in her eye.

“What’s going on in that head of yours?” he asked her.

“I think we should do it,” she said.

“Do what?”

“When we talked about moving to the city, to be closer to our boys. I think we should do it. Besides seeing Blaine more often, I really think I could like it here. I’ve always thought of myself as a city girl,” said Viv. Jack chuckled and pulled her into his arms, holding her close right there on the sidewalk.

“Oh have you? And you’ve put up with a poor country boy like me all these years?” He leaned down to kiss her, feeling her smile against his lips.

“Yes, well, opposites do attract.” She pulled back and picked up one of her suitcases. “We better get inside. They’re expecting us.”

They headed up to Kurt and Blaine’s apartment, knocking on the door. They didn’t have to wait long before it opened. They were greeted by Santana, who smiled when she recognized them. 

“Hey, come in.” She stepped aside to let them in. “You guys really didn’t have to come. Blaine’s fine. But he’ll be happy to see you.”

“I’ll take any excuse to see my baby boy,” said Viv, setting her suitcase down inside the door. She hadn’t been to visit in over six months, and she looked around at the tasteful decorations that Kurt had put up since then. It wasn’t long before she heard Blaine’s voice from the living room and she hurried in to see him on the loveseat in the corner, wrapped up in a blanket and resting his head on Kurt’s shoulder.

“Wake up, nugget. Someone’s here to see you!” Santana stroke past her and nudged Blaine’s shoulder as she did. Blaine awoke with a start and looked up, confused for a moment before he saw Viv. 

“Mama!” He exclaimed happily. He tried to jump up, but his body was still sluggish from the medicine and recovering. She put a hand on his shoulder to keep him still, then moved to sit beside him. He scooted over a little to make room, leaving him wedged tight between her and Kurt.

“Hello,” said Kurt, smiling and slipping an arm around Blaine’s shoulders.

“You guys really should stop calling us to tell us things are wrong,” said Viv. “You make me worry.” She kissed Blaine’s cheek and fixed a wild curl of hair out of habit.

“Sorry,” said Blaine, looking down like he was in trouble. “I fell. But I’m okay! Everyone thought when I hit my, hit my head, it would be bad, but it, it wasn’t too bad.”

“I’m glad, honey. I missed you. I worry about you a lot, because I’m your mama and that’s what I do.” She kissed the top of his head and snuggled in beside him. They fell into silence, listening to the TV playing lowly and the mixed voices of Jack, Cooper, Gina, Santana, and Veronica in the other room. 

They stayed like that, the three of them, for a long while before Gina came out to greet Viv with a hug followed by an announcement that dinner was ready in the dining room, if Blaine was up to it. She had cooked a big meal in anticipation of Jack and Viv’s arrival. Blaine was starving, so they got him to his feet and he slowly walked with his arm looped through Kurt’s to the dining room. They all took their seats around a table filled with baked chicken, wild rice, several kinds of vegetables, and a big salad.

Once everyone had some food on their plates, the voices of the family filled the room with a low chatter. Blaine quietly observed his family all around him as he ate, a happy smile on his face. Kurt’s hand was on his thigh for the majority of the meal, which made him feel warm and fuzzy. After half an hour, Blaine’s tummy was full and his head was starting to ache dully from the noise of conversation. Both Viv and Kurt started to notice this and they offered to begin clearing up. To their surprise, Santana stopped them.

“Wait. First, I have something I want to say. Something both Veronica and I want to say,” she said. She took Veronica’s hand and took a deep breath. “Most of our families already know, but we were waiting for the perfect time to let the rest of our family in on the news. Now that mots of the Anderson-Hummel clan is all together, with the exception of Kurt's parents, we’d like to announce that Veronica and I…well…we got married!”

Everyone gasped and congratulated them first, then came the questions.

“When did it happen?”

“Why didn’t you tell us?”

“How dare you deny me the opportunity to plan your wedding?!” 

“Alright, alright, relax everyone. Just chill out,” said Veronica. “We did it last weekend. We got to talking about how we didn’t really want a huge ceremony and we didn’t want to make a big deal of anything because that’s not really our style. So we just went and got it done. Call it a shotgun wedding if you will, but it was perfect.”

She smiled lovingly at Santana, who took her hand and squeezed it tight. Santana looked across the table to catch the reaction of the most important person to her at the table. Blaine was looking at her with mixed emotions.

“Aren’t you happy for us, nugget?” asked Santana.

“Very,” said Blaine. “I’m just, just sad ‘cause, I wanted to see you get, get married.”

“I know. There just wasn’t time to invite anybody. It all happened so fast. But we were thinking of having a party, sometime soon, to invite all our families to so we can celebrate. Everything’s just so hectic right now, we didn’t want the stress of wedding planning,” Santana explained, hoping that it would remedy Blaine’s sadness. He seemed to contemplate this for a moment, then offered her a smile.

“That’s good,” said Blaine. “Good. If Kurt and I didn’t have a, a big wedding, we could, could have been married lots sooner.”

“Don’t even say that, our wedding was perfect,” said Kurt. Blaine nodded, agreeing, and Kurt squeezed his leg gently. 

“There’s one more thing.” Santana announced. She blushed lightly and smiled at Veronica. Everyone listened, wondering what could get the usually sharp-tongued woman to blush so shyly. “We really got married because. Well. Because we decided we wanted a family. So we’re looking for a donor. We’ve decided that I’ll be the one getting pregnant.”

Another round of excitement passed through, everyone offering congratulations. Blaine smiled, but he looked a cross between puzzled and deep in thought. Everyone accepted his smile though and focused on asking Santana and Veronica for details. When the excitement died down, Jack cleared his throat and instantly got everyone’s attention.

“While we’re in the mood of announcements,” said Jack, reaching for his wife’s hand. “Viv and I are going to move to the city.”

Even Viv looked surprised, but Jack offered her a smile. 

“That’s great!” Cooper looked the happiest, even more than Blaine. “Why the sudden decision to move?”

“Well, your mother is sick of being so far from Blaine. And you. And I’m getting ready to retire from the firm, so we’ve been talking about selling the house and moving here,” said Jack.

“We figured that with all our family here, why bother staying there anymore?” Viv smiled at Cooper, then at Blaine. He looked happier than he had all night, his eyes sparkling with the thought of having his parents so close. They were the only two he loved almost as much as Kurt, and seeing them more often would only make things even better for him.

“I think that’s the best idea ever!” said Blaine excitedly. His enthusiasm earned a chuckle from the room, before Cooper and Jack began a deep discussion about what they planned to do with their childhood home.

Eventually, everyone finished with dinner and helped to clean up, then Cooper and Gina headed home, followed by Santana and Veronica. Kurt got Jack and Viv set up in the guest room, then he went to take care of Blaine, who was taking his nightly bath.

Kurt knocked on the bathroom door before stepping inside. Blaine was relaxed in the warm water of the bathtub, and he smiled up at Kurt. A small speaker connected to Blaine’s iPod played in the corner of the bathroom. 

“Hi,” said Kurt, moving to sit on the toilet seat as he watched his husband. 

“Hi,” said Blaine, his voice raspy from being sleepy.

“I’m so happy you’re okay.” Kurt leaned down and reached for his hand, giving it a squeeze. “I know when you fell it wasn’t that bad, but you know what the doctors say. One more hit on the head, one more concussion, it could be your last. You have to be careful.” 

“I know,” said Blaine softly. “I was scared too. I don’t think I want to ride, to go on the subway anymore. Not for, for a while.”

“What about your job?” 

Blaine shrugged. “I dunno. Maybe I could take a, a cab?”

“That could get expensive. I supposed we could check out your options. Until then, I called your boss and you’ve got the rest of the week off. And I don’t care what the producer says, I’m taking time off from rehearsal too. Tomorrow we’re going condo hunting with your parents. They want a nice place nearby, so they can have you over during the days.” Kurt laid down a towel on the bathroom floor and grabbed Blaine’s bottle of shampoo. Blaine dunked his hair in the water, then he sat up with his back to Kurt and tilted his head back. 

“I can’t wait,” said Blaine. “I miss them. I just, want them to be here more.” 

Kurt smiled and leaned forward, pressing a few soft kisses to the smooth, wet skin of Blaine’s back. He poured some shampoo into his hand and began to work it into Blaine’s curls, working up a thick lather. The music filled the room between their silence. Old Elton John songs were playing, from the early years. He was one of Blaine’s favorite artists of all time, and he went through phases where he was all Blaine would listen to and he would spend hours playing the songs on the keyboard set up in Kurt's office.

Blaine hummed along, then when the chorus started, his lips parted and he began to sing softly. With every word, his shaky voice grew a little stronger. Kurt gasped softly as he listened. He had never heard Blaine sing before. In the eleven years they had been together, Blaine had never sung. Kurt never asked why, had never wondered it. He had always figured Blaine’s gift of music was strictly related to the piano. 

But Blaine’s voice…it was lovely. He listened for a moment, but then Blaine stopped. Kurt realized his hands had stilled in Blaine’s hair and Blaine was looking at him, wondering why.

“You were singing,” stated Kurt.

“I was?” Blaine tilted his head to the side. “I was. Hm.”

“I’ve never heard you sing before,” said Kurt. He almost felt his eyes beginning to water from the lingering sound of Blaine’s wonderful voice.

“I…I didn’t know I could…” said Blaine softly. “I tried, but my brain, it, I couldn’t, couldn’t.”

“But you can now.” Kurt smiled, fighting back his tears as he leaned forward to give Blaine a kiss, grinning against his lips as he felt suds drip down from Blaine’s hair and onto his face. He pulled back and grabbed a pitcher, filling it with water from the bath and tilting Blaine’s head back so he could ring his hair. 

All the while he couldn’t help but grin. Blaine could sing! He wondered if the hit to Blaine’s head anything to do with it, if it had somehow unlocked this gift of Blaine’s. Or maybe somehow Blaine managed to unlock it on his own. Either way, as Kurt rinsed the soap from Blaine’s hair, he couldn’t stop thinking of all the duets they could sing together now…


	13. Blaine Takes the Test

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Blaine decides he's ready to take the test for his GED, but nothing is ever as easy as it seems.

_September 12, 2025_

Kurt arrived at NYADA with a smile, as he always did in the three weeks since the semester began. This time, however, he wasn’t entering as a student. He had been offered a teaching position. After a little encouragement from both his dad and Blaine, he decided to take it. The theater would always be his first love, but teaching would give him a break from the hectic schedule without giving up work entirely. And helping a whole new generation of NYADA students achieve their dreams was turning out to be very satisfying. 

He had his very own office, and he was teaching three classes; two sections of Beginning Stage Acting and one section of Beginning Voice and Speech. It took him months to plan his curriculum perfectly, and he had been nervous and excited to begin teaching. It turned out that he actually had a knack for it, and after performing in front of hundreds on Broadway, a classroom of ten students was fairly easy. And because of his experience, they hung on to his every word.

Before class, he always stopped by his office to get organized, so he was on his way there when he was stopped by a few of his students. They asked for audition advice, and he offered some, and when they were satisfied and left Kurt turned around to hurry back to his office and instantly slammed into a very solid body. He bounced back a couple of steps and quickly began to offer an apology, until he looked up at who he had run into and froze.

“Oh my god, Kurt Hummel?” The vaguely familiar accent of his former NYADA classmate, Adam Crawford, asked. He was a lot older and a lot more, well, muscular than Kurt remembered. Battling his advances during freshman year had been one more challenge on top of acclimatizing Blaine to the city, so Kurt had buried the memories of him deep in the furthest recesses of his mind.

“Yes, it’s me, and you’re…Adam?” he questioned, only because he wanted to make sure he hadn’t mixed up his memories. 

“Of course. It’s great to see you. It’s been ages. What are you doing here?” Adam asked. He smiled, the same charming smile Kurt remember from all those years ago. If he hadn’t had Blaine, he would have let himself consider Adam back then.

“I’m a teacher, actually,” said Kurt. He smiled politely and glanced at his watch. 

“That’s great. Really great. I’m here to visit some old friends. I haven’t been in America for quite some time, actually,” said Adam. There was a familiar glint in his eyes as they traveled down Kurt’s body. If time had done well for Adam, it had done even better for Kurt. His own muscles were more defined, and he filled out his clothes even better. Kurt knew he looked good, and it usually didn’t bother him when people admired the result of his efforts, but today it just made him uncomfortable.

“That’s good. Look I’ve…”

“Would you like to go out for coffee or something later? To catch up?” Adam interrupted, looking hopeful. Apparently he was still as persistent as Kurt remembered.

“Um. No. I’m sorry. I can’t. I’m, I’ve got a thing.” Kurt gestured vaguely and he could see the instant Adam’s eyes caught the glint of Kurt’s wedding band. His whole face fell.

“Oh. I see. You’re married?”

“Yeah…” Kurt glanced down at his hand. “Yeah. Four years and three months.”

“Anyone I know?” Adam asked, like it was his business.

“Actually yes. I married Blaine. The boyfriend I had who you first claimed to be made up so I would have an excuse to turn you down, and then when you met him your first comment was ‘now I know what you mean when you said he’s special’. I am happily married, and whatever you think you feel for me, even after all this time, please do us all a favor and stop.” Kurt took a step back to put some distance between them. Adam looked hurt, but Kurt didn’t really care. As far as he was concerned, anyone who ever insulted Blaine wasn’t worth a second of his time. 

“I honestly don’t remember saying that and if I did, I’m really sorry. I was young and stupid and I thought you were ridiculously gorgeous. Not that you’re not gorgeous now, because you are, but I’m not young and stupid anymore and if I want to prove that I should just stop talking.” Adam chuckled awkwardly.

“That’s nice,” said Kurt, trying to hold back an eye roll. He sighed, and figured what the hell. “Look. I’ve got to go get ready to teach a class. Maybe if you’re still around later we can grab a coffee and talk. Just talk.”

“I would really like that,” said Adam sincerely. They parted after a settling on a place and time, and Kurt hurried to his office to utilize what little time was left before his classes. All his happiness brought about by his happy morning breakfast cooking duet with Blaine – a new tradition of theirs – and his success at his new job were instantly gone by this one encounter. He wondered why he didn’t just get rid of Adam when he had the chance.

………………………………

On a normal day, Blaine would love having Santana come over and help around the apartment while he babysat her little girl. Abigail Lena Bernard-Lopez was nearly two and a half with black hair always pulled back into thick braid and a temper like her mother’s. But also like her mother, she was a fiercely loyal child who loved Blaine to the moon and back. She even decided to call him daddy. 

There was no stopping it once it started, and once she called Blaine daddy, Kurt became papa. Within weeks of learning to talk, she had went from having two parents to four. Santana and Veronica accepted it when they saw the look of delight on Blaine’s face when she first called him daddy. For them, it was two more people to help them raise their beautiful little girl.

Abby was a handful for everyone, and sometimes her presence overwhelmed Blaine when he was actually ready and willing to pay attention to her. But today he couldn’t afford the distraction. Today he was studying hard. His GED test was coming up soon, and he had to study every piece of material he had if he wanted to do well. He had told Kurt he was ready months ago, and Kurt had then proceeded to get him every study guide and practice test he could dig up to help him prepare. He was so close to his goal, he could already imagine just how proud Kurt would be when he got the certificate that said he was just as smart as anyone who graduated high school. It didn’t matter that he was thirty and taking the test for the first time. All that mattered was the outcome.

Except he would never pass it if he had a screaming child demanding her daddy’s attention while he tried to focus on the screen of his tablet. His head was starting to ache from the noise and the effort of his concentration. Finally, he put his tablet down on the couch and stood, crossing the room and hoisting little Abby up in his arms. Her cries didn’t stop, and Blaine cringed as she screamed right in his ear. He was already starting to feel a little dizzy from his head hurting, so he hurried into the kitchen where Santana was putting away clean dishes.

“Please take your child home,” said Blaine loudly. Santana looked up from what she was doing and immediately took pity on him. She took the crying girl from Blaine and soothed her gently, sending Blaine a sympathetic look.

“I’m sorry, nugget. I forgot you were studying.” Santana walked across the kitchen and dug around in one of the highest cabinets before pulling out a little orange pill bottle. It was Blaine’s emergency only headache medicine. He knew it was really strong pain medication, but he didn’t know what it was called. The name just looked like a jumble of letters to him. Santana poured out one pill and as carefully as she could with one hand cut it in half. She put one half back in the bottle and handed the other to him.

“Half a dose should make you better. Can you finish with the dishes? I should probably just take Abby home.” Santana looked at him hopefully. He nodded. He could take care of dishes. Even Kurt trusted him with that. She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek, then hurried to gather her things. She called out quick goodbye, Abby still crying as they left. 

Once they were gone, Blaine sighed at the silence. He loved that little girl, but he needed to concentrate. After a couple seconds of relaxing, Blaine finished putting away the dishes. Soon his headache dulled and he was able to go back to studying. 

Hours and hours were spent glued to his tablet, and soon he was yawning and drifting off to sleep on the couch. He didn’t know how long he slept there, but when he awoke and realized he drooled a little on the tablet screen, he blushed and wiped it off, then looked at the time. It was eight o’clock in the evening, and he felt a little panic bubble up through him as he searched for a sign that Kurt had come home. Kurt was home by six at the latest every night, except tonight. 

Blaine sat up and stretched, then shuffled his way through the apartment, looking for Kurt. When he didn’t find him in any room, he immediately became concerned. He went into the living room and found his phone, bringing up his text conversation with Kurt. 

After typing a quick message, he sat back on the couch and stared at the black screen of his phone waiting. Two minutes later, the lock on the door clicked open and Kurt stumbled in quickly. He hurried into the living room and dropped his things on the floor before plopping down next to Blaine and drawing him into his arms.

“I am so sorry!” Kurt held him tight for a minute until Blaine wiggled away.

“Where were you?” asked Blaine, pouting softly.

“I met someone for coffee and we lost track of time,” said Kurt. He seemed preoccupied, looking over Blaine to make sure he was unharmed and okay. Blaine’s brow furrowed. Kurt met _someone_ for coffee? If it was anyone Blaine knew, he would have just said their name. Unless it was someone Kurt didn’t want him to know about. Maybe in the past Blaine would have been dumb enough to let it slide, but he was older and smarter now.

“Who were you with?” asked Blaine. Kurt shut his mouth with a snap and instantly a little blush came over his cheeks. It made Blaine narrow his eyes. “Why did, why are you blushing? What happened?”

“Nothing happened, honey. Nothing, just relax. I bumped into Adam Crawford, from my freshman year,” admitted Kurt. 

Blaine frowned. He didn’t remember anyone named Adam Crawford. Why was Kurt going to coffee with a guy with a stupid name like Adam Crawford when he was married to Blaine? Blaine was the only guy he should be going to coffee with!

“Oh stop it. I see that jealously brewing and it’s completely unwarranted. I just went out with him because one could never have enough friends in the entertainment business. Yes, he had a crush on me.”

Blaine let out a little growl at that, which Kurt rolled his eyes at.

“But that was years ago. Now we just talked and had coffee and lost track of time while he was telling me about how he lived in Paris for two years,” explained Kurt. Blaine shook his head and turned away from Kurt, crossing his arms over his chest.

“Some guy invites you to, to coffee and he tells, talks about Paris where I _know_ you wanted, want to go but don’t because of, of me not, not, me holding you back! I bet _just talking_ is all you did.” Blaine pouted and looked away. Kurt sighed and reached for his arm, trying to tug him back.

“Okay, okay. I’ll be honest. He…he did try to kiss me, okay? But try is all he did! I pushed him away, and I told him I had to go home to my husband who I love more than anything. More than Paris, more than Broadway even. I married you, Blaine. You have to trust me.” Kurt placed his hand on Blaine’s arm, just letting it rest there to touch him. Blaine tensed up as he spoke, his expression filled with blatant jealousy.

“Honey, please…” Kurt scooted a little closer, sliding his hand down Blaine’s arm to try to get to his hand. He wiggled his fingers against Blaine’s hand until finally Blaine loosened and spread his fingers, allowing Kurt to slip his between them. 

“I do,” said Blaine softly. “Trust you. Not others.”

Kurt sighed and wrapped his other arm around Blaine’s shoulders, tugging him closer. Blaine pressed his face into Kurt’s neck and breathed in deeply. 

“You think I trust people when it comes to you? You’re so beautiful, Blaine. And if someone wanted to hurt you, or take advantage of you, they could. You’re so much more aware now than you ever have been, but there are still people out there that could easily take you away from me. Every time I leave you alone, knowing you’re going out in that big world by yourself, I worry someone is going to hurt you or force you to do something you don’t want to do. Do you remember Sebastian?”

Blaine shuddered and nodding, pressing closer to Kurt. How could he forget Sebastian? Back when he first became boyfriends with Kurt, Blaine’s mom had dropped him off at Kurt’s favorite coffee shop – Blaine didn’t drink coffee, he wasn’t allowed caffeine – and he waited patiently in their usual table so Kurt to arrive. They were supposed to be meeting up for a date, and Blaine was excited. He had been humming softly to himself, staring at the window, when suddenly a boy he had never seen before sat across from him.

………………………..

_“Hey sexy. You are too good looking to be sitting here all alone. Let me buy you a drink,” said the boy. Blaine stared at him with wide eyes, not sure what to do with this unwanted attention. The boy smirked at him, leaning forward slightly and looking him over. He was cute, but not in the way Kurt was. Kurt was perfect._

_“Um. No,” squeaked Blaine, shifting in his seat. The boy didn’t look like he liked that answer._

_“Oh come on. What’s your name? Mine’s Sebastian,” said the boy._

_He held out his hand like he wanted to shake Blaine’s, and Blaine just looked down at the table. He just wanted Sebastian to go away and leave him alone, but instead the guy was just scooting his chair closer. Blaine stiffened in his seat, trembling slightly. Sebastian leaned over and slipped his hand onto Blaine’s leg, to the inside of his thigh. Blaine let out a surprised gasp, causing Sebastian to smirk._

_“This bashful schoolboy thing, it’s totally working for me. You are so hot.” Sebastian slipped his other arm around Blaine’s shoulders and leaned closer, his hand slipping further up the inside of his thigh._

_Blaine’s eyes grew even wider and he trembled. His breathing grew rapid as he felt panic rise up through him. Sebastian leaned even closer, and Blaine could feel his hot, sticky breath against his skin. Blaine let out a helpless whimper as he cringed away, but Sebastian must have mistaken it for a sound of pleasure, because he leaned forward to press his lips against Blaine’s skin._

_But before contact was made, he was pulled away so quickly Blaine didn’t even realize what happened. He looked up to see Kurt standing above them, his arms crossed and his best bitch glare in place._

_“You better thing twice before you touch him again you slimy, greasy, scumbag. I don’t know what part of his response you mistook for consent, but I can assure you that if you lay one more sleazy finger on him, I’ll have you hauled out of here in handcuffs for sexual assault. Now get lost before I kick your ass for scaring my boyfriend.”_

_Sebastian stood up calmly, and was taller than Kurt when he straightened up. He looked down at Kurt with a sly smile._

_“He never said no,” said Sebastian._

_“He has brain damage. You scared him half to death!” snapped Kurt. He was so angry he stepped up and shoved Sebastian so hard he stumbled back a few steps._

_Sebastian’s face turned into an angry frown. He took one step forward and glanced between Kurt and Blaine._

_“If his brain damage is so bad he can’t give or deny consent, then I’d like to know how he could possibly have the capacity to be your boyfriend.” Sebastian practically snarled before he stood up straight and wiped a hand over the front of his shirt. With one last glare, he turned on his heel and left them._

……………………………

Blaine squeezed his eyes shut and snuggled closer to Kurt. He didn’t want to remember what had happened with Sebastian. It wasn’t his last encounter with him, but it was the scariest. He had been so helpless back then, and he didn’t want to feel that way again. 

“I’m sorry I was late, okay?” Kurt whispered softly, holding Blaine close.

“Okay,” said Blaine.

“Now. Why don’t you tell me what you studied today?”

Blaine looked up and smiled, then fished out his tablet and began to show Kurt everything he studied that day. Even though he didn’t realize it, Kurt asked the same question every day with a purpose, knowing that reporting to Kurt what he learned would help him remember that much better. He needed all the help he could get if he was going to pass his test.

……………………………..

Two days later Kurt was walking Blaine to the Adult Education Center a few blocks from their building. It was time for Blaine to begin his test, a process that would take several days, and he was a bundle of jittery nerves. Kurt had to hold his hand tight to keep him grounded. Blaine was worried about everything from not being able to read the questions to forgetting everything he had studied as soon as he sat down. Kurt knew they were all valid worries, but Blaine was able to take the test under special circumstances.

Given his disability, they had been able to ask for certain things to make taking the test a little easier for him. He was allowed to take it in a room by himself with the assistance of a proctor, he had an unlimited amount of time to take it, he was allowed to take breaks as he needed, and he was allowed to have someone read and explain the questions to him if he had trouble understanding on all the portions of the test except the reading one. It was still up to him to be able to figure out the answers, and that’s what he was nervous about.

They arrived at the building and Kurt helped Blaine get checked in and settled, and gave him one kiss on the cheek before wishing him good luck and promising to be right outside the door if he needed anything. Then Kurt left and Blaine was alone in the room with a computer in front of him and a middle aged woman sitting at a table behind him. She looked tired, like she didn’t really want to be there. He looked at her timidly.

“Alright. The rules of the test are as follows,” the woman began. “You can have questions read to you on all portions but the reading, you have an unlimited amount of time to complete each section of the test. There are four sections: language arts, social studies, math, and science. You may take breaks as often as you need, but you are not allowed to leave the room unsupervised unless during a scheduled break. You’re allowed a water bottle with a lid, scratch paper and pencil, and a scientific calculator, all of which are provided for you except the water. The first screen of the test will ask you to input your personal information. Once you are finished, click the ‘next’ button and the test will begin. Today you will be completing the language arts and social studies portions. Do you have any questions?”

Blaine shook his head slowly. This was going to be harder than he thought, he could already tell. The woman sensed his hesitation and offered him a small smile, and a wish of good luck. He tentatively smiled back, then turned to the computer to begin his test.

It took a very long and exhausting eight hours before he finished the first two sections. When he was finally done, he was excused from the room and he stumbled outside, yawning and rubbing his aching head. He looked around for Kurt and spotted him curled up uncomfortably but sleeping in one of the chairs outside the room. Smiling, he hurried over and nudged Kurt lightly until he woke up.

“Hey,” said Kurt, his voice sleepy and his joints cracking as he unfolded and stretched his body. “All done?”

“For today,” said Blaine.

“How’d you do?” asked Kurt.

“Dunno. I’ll get to find out tomorrow when, when I finish the rest,” replied Blaine. Kurt pushed himself out of the chair and pulled Blaine into his arms.

“I’m so proud of you.” Kurt kissed him hard on the lips, feeling Blaine’s body melt against him. He pulled back and smiled, then took Blaine home.

The next day, they did the same thing. It took Blaine just as long to complete the final sections of his test, and this time when he came out, Kurt was awake and ready. He was desperate to know how Blaine did, to know that Blaine had finally achieved the goal he’d been working hard on for nearly twelve years. All Blaine wanted to do was prove that his disability wasn’t holding him back, that he was smart enough to be a functioning adult in their society. 

With all the studying Blaine had done, most of their friends were certain Blaine would pass, which was why they were all back at their apartment, setting up a congratulatory party. Thankfully Kurt knew Blaine’s parents were waiting by the phone, knowing it was a very likely possibility their party decorations would have to be taken down and disposed of as quickly as possible. Kurt hoped that wouldn’t be the case, but as soon as the door opened, he was reaching for his phone.

Blaine looked miserable. His eyes were red and wet with the beginnings of tears, and Kurt barely had time to tap out a quick message and hit send before he gave into the urge to wrap Blaine up in his arms. He hugged him tight, soothing Blaine as he gave into the urge to cry. Sobbing quietly into Kurt’s neck, Blaine held on as tight as he could. After a few minutes, Kurt peeled him off and held him at arm’s length. 

“What happened?” asked Kurt, reaching up to wipe the trail of wetness from Blaine’s cheek.

“I failed,” sniffed Blaine. “All but the, the reading. I missed, missed math by five points. The others I was, I did, I missed lots.”

Kurt looked at him sympathetically, then wiped the new tears beginning to fall before giving him a quick kiss and wrapping an arm around his waist.

“C’mon, honey,” he said softly. He urged Blaine forward, getting him walking toward the door. Blaine dragged his feet, looking down at the ground as he sniffled softly. “You’ll have more chances to take the test, I promise. And now you know the kinds of things to study for. Why don’t you focus on the positive? You passed the reading and writing section! That’s really good! You’ve come so far.”

“I appreciate you trying to help, to make me feel better, but I still, still failed.” Blaine wiped his nose on his arm and remained silent the rest of the way home.

When they got there, all their friends and family were still there, but any evidence of a celebration was gone. Instead, everyone greeted them at the door with comforting hugs for Blaine. He let them all hug him without really responding, until Viv worked her way through the small group and pulled him into her arms. He crumbled against her, and she gently rubbed his back.

“It’s okay, sweetie. I’m still so proud of you. It’s okay to fail. It just means when you finally get it, you’ll feel that much better,” said Viv. She guided him away from the group of people, down the hallway to his and Kurt’s bedroom. Once there she laid him down on the bed and stroked her hand over his soft curls.

“I tried so hard,” cried Blaine. “I studied for weeks and I tried so hard to do good. What if I _never_ pass?”

“Don’t think like that,” said Viv softly. “You did pass. You passed the reading part. Remember when you first met Kurt and you could barely read anything that wasn’t a picture book? Now you’re reading and writing well enough that you could go to college!”

“I don’t wanna go to college.” Blaine grabbed his pillow and pressed his face into it. His hands slipped into his hair, gripping it tight. “I want to pass the test. I want to be smart enough.”

“You _are_ smart. You’re smart enough to pass that test. You just need to have patience and keep trying. Maybe…maybe you need to take a class. They have classes, just a couple of weeks long, that help people get ready for the tests. Maybe if you took one it would help?” suggested Viv. Blaine sniffed and looked up at her from his pillow. 

“You think I could do that?”

“I know you can.” She smiled down at him. “I will sign you up for a class starting as soon as possible. You will pass that test, I promise. But for now, just rest.” 

Viv leaned down and kissed his forehead. She stroked her hand over his hand that was still in his hair. Blaine relaxed slightly and nodded, agreeing with her plan. Neither one of them heard the door open or the pad of little feet across the floor.

“Daddy?” Abby’s little voice startled them both, and Blaine sat up, looking around Viv to see her. “Okay daddy?”

Blaine offered her a little smile.

“Yeah. Daddy’s okay,” he said, then stretched out his arms. She toddled over to the bed and he hooked his hands under her arms, hoisting her up onto the bed with him. 

“You cry?” asked Abby, pointing to the blotchy wet spots on his face. Blaine chuckled and wiped at his face.

“Nope! I never cry!” he declared. Then he gave her a big wet sloppy kiss on the cheek, making her giggle and shriek. Both Blaine and Viv laughed, and Abby batted her hands at Blaine’s arms. He held her close and she hugged him back. Blaine loved having her close to him. Although he wasn’t sure if it was because he loved her like she really was his daughter, or if the feeling of having a child close to him reminded him there were human beings more helpless than him in the world.

With one last kiss to his forehead, Viv got up and left them alone. Blaine flopped back on the bed and Abby crawled on him, sitting her butt right on his chest and looking down at him. She poked at his nose, and giggled when he pretended to bite at her finger.

“Silly daddy! No bites!” She giggled as he puffed out his cheeks, and she poked both of them at the same time, laughing louder at the noise he made. Blaine laughed too and grabbed her little hands in his, tugging her forward so he could blow a loud raspberry on her tummy. Another voice joined their laughter and Blaine looked up to see Kurt standing in the doorway.

“You are so good with her,” said Kurt. He took the spot on the edge of the bed previously occupied by Viv, and watched as Blaine rolled Abby to his side and held her close. She grabbed his shirt in her fists and tugged at it, wiggling all around like the curious, squirmy toddler she was.

“I think maybe I understand her.” Blaine looked up at Kurt as he ruffled up Abby’s hair, causing her to let out a whine and wiggle away.

“I can see that,” said Kurt. He smiled and watched Blaine reach for her again and pull her back. “Your mom told me about you taking the class. I think it’s a wonderful idea.”

“Me too,” said Blaine. “I’m gonna do it. I need to pass that test. Someday she’s, Abby’s gonna grow up and I, I need to be smart, enough to be there for, for her. If she needs me.”

“Of course she’ll need you. You’re her daddy,” said Kurt. Blaine grinned and sat up, flipping Abby gently onto her back and tickling her sides until she shrieked with laughter again. Just the sound of that little girl’s voice was enough to pull Blaine out his sadness and bring out his smile. He really truly was an amazing dad, even if he wasn’t really Abby’s dad. 

It made Kurt wonder…would Blaine ever want to have a child of his own? Or was he content to just have Abby whenever Santana brought her around? Kurt knew it was yet another thing he had to wait for Blaine to decide on his own. If Blaine sensed that Kurt wanted it as bad as he did, he would agree whether he was ready or not. But Kurt was pleased with their life the way it was, and he had he patience to wait.

………………………………

A week later, Blaine was just finishing up his shift at the market when the bell above the door jingled and Viv walked in. His face lit up in a smile at the sight of his Mama, and he suddenly felt a burst of excitement that made him momentarily forget what he was doing. The customer in front of him cleared their throat, and Blaine glanced down. Oh. Right. Change.

He looked up at the screen in front of him, telling him out much change to count out. He was still a little slow at this, but after a couple of tries, he handed eleven dollars and fifty-seven cents back to the man and wished him a good day. Working the cash register was still a challenge for him, even after doing it for a full year. He only did it when one of the other workers needed him to fill in, so he was still practicing. 

There were two more customers in his line, so he took care of them as quickly as he could without messing up, then turned off the light for his lane and hurried to the break room. Viv waited for him at the table where he had lunch when he worked longer shifts, and he smiled as he clocked out, then headed straight for his locker along the back wall.

“Hi, sweetie,” greeted Viv.

“Hello Mama,” said Blaine cheerfully. He grabbed his bag and hurried into the men’s restroom, where he quickly changed out of his work clothes and into his more fashionable regular clothes. After fixing his hair and using the facilities, he appeared back in the room where Viv waited patiently.

“How was work today?” she asked, standing as he approached and reached for his hand. He took it eagerly, staying close to her.

“It was good,” he replied. “I worked the register the whole time. I helped lots of, lots of people. Made them happy.”

“That’s wonderful! Are you ready for your class today?” Viv looked up at him to watch for his reaction as they left the store and headed down the street a little ways, toward the entrance to the subway. It was the fastest way this time of day, even though Blaine still hesitated when there were a lot of people.

“I’m so ready,” said Blaine. “I’ve got my tablet and stuff to write with and the books. I want to pass this test!” 

Viv laughed, finding his enthusiasm infectious. He even managed to stay excited as they joined the crowd of people on the subway platform. 

It wasn’t long before they arrived, walking up to the open doors of the community college where Blaine was taking his class. Viv helped him find the way to the room, but he insisted he didn’t need her to walk him in. She promised to be waiting for him when the class was done to take him home, then wished him luck. 

Blaine kissed her cheek, then hurried inside the classroom. He hadn’t been in a real classroom with desks since high school. Kurt’s classes at NYADA didn’t really have desks or tables, so that didn’t count. He glanced around, looking for a place to sit. He chose a spot in the center row, second seat back. Most of the people in the class were teenagers, high school dropouts who were looking for a way to get a job that wasn’t fast food and get on with life. There was one girl who looked to be in her twenties, but Blaine had a feeling that he was the oldest one there. He was beginning to realize why Kurt made such a big deal about being thirty.

The instructor arrived shortly after Blaine, and introduced himself and what the class was about. Then he began to read off everyone’s name to see who was there. Blaine raised his hand high when the instructor called out “Anderson-Hummel, Blaine D.” and only blushed a little when he realized no one else was quite so enthusiastic.

Then, the instructor made everyone around the room tell why they were there and why they wanted their GED. Three girls stated high school pregnancy as the reason, one boy had been kicked out of his house for being gay and he’d been homeless and unable to go to school, another boy had been arrested and was looking for a second chance, and the rest just dropped out of high school because they didn’t like it, except the woman in her twenties, who simply stated family problems had troubled her and now she wanted to move on. Blaine was the last to answer, and he hesitated as he felt them all staring at him.

“Um,” he began softly. “When I was eight, eight years old, I got, I was in an accident. My, I was, I have brain damage. So I was a little, little slow at learning. I went to school but, but I didn’t, never graduated. After, I moved here. With Kurt. He’s my, my husband now. Ever since I’ve been, I worked on studying hard to, to prove I’m smart. I took, I failed the test. All but the reading, so now I’m here. I want to pass the test.”

There was silence in the room for a few moments, and he glanced around to see the sympathetic looks from some of the others. He glanced down at the desk, thankful when the instructor spoke up to thank everyone for their responses.

After that, they got right into talking about the program, the expectations, and the format of the class. The rest of the first hour passed quickly, and the second and third were spent focusing on strategies for answering science questions. Blaine took as many notes as he could, but felt like there was so much information escaping him. He silently cursed at his brain, wishing it could just keep up like a normal person’s.

He was surprised he didn’t feel as tired as the thought he would when the class was over, and he was eager to go back the next day. The entire class lasted two and a half weeks, and on the last day of class, Blaine had a newfound confidence in his academic abilities. He had stretched the limits of his brain and for the first time in a long time, actually _felt_ smart. Class ended and as usual Blaine waited until everyone else was gone before he stood and packed up his things. The instructor cleared his throat softly and called Blaine’s name, causing him to look up.

“I was very impressed with your work these last few weeks,” said the instructor. “I’ve met people like you before, just trying to prove that they could, and I’ve seen them try their hardest and still fail. But I’ve never seen someone as determined as you. I really, truly wish you good luck on your test next week. I think you’ve got a good chance.”

Blaine beamed with happiness at the instructor’s praise. He thanked the older man and pulled his bag over his shoulder before hurrying out to greet Kurt, who waited for him today. He didn’t speak about his instructor’s words, but he kept repeating them in his mind until he knew he wouldn’t forget. He felt confident, and he would do anything he could not to lose that.

…………………………….

Everyone waited at Kurt and Blaine’s apartment. This time they kept party decorations to a minimum, not wanting the fiasco of removing them that they had faced last time. Santana and Veronica were on the floor of the living room, playing with little Abby as Cooper and Jack talked quietly and Gina and Viv stayed in the kitchen, plating Blaine’s favorite snacks just in case. There had been no call from Kurt yet, so they all waited.

“You think he’ll get it this time?” Gina asked Viv, handing her a box of pita crackers to lay out on the cheese plate.

“I’m positive,” said Viv. “I’ve never seen him try so hard for anything, not since before the accident. He wants this. And when he sets his mind to something, he’ll keep going until he’s got it.”

“I really want this for him.” Gina took the cake she had baked and set it on the peninsula, next to the plates. 

“We all do, dear.” Viv turned around to face her daughter-in-law. “When Blaine was little, he was the smartest boy in his class. So far ahead of the other students the teachers often gave him separate, more challenging work just to keep him busy. Two weeks before the accident, I met with the school counselors about moving Blaine up a grade. They called him a genius. But then the accident happened, and we practically had to start over. It was when he was about twelve that I finally accepted that the Blaine before the accident was lost, and my son was changed forever. But now he’s taking something back that was lost to him. I have never been more proud.”

Gina had tears in her eyes listening to Viv, but she wiped them away quickly. She opened her mouth to respond but never got the chance. They heard the sound of the door opening, and everyone quieted and waited to see who was coming in.

It was Kurt and Blaine, and they did not look happy. Viv’s heart sank and she prepared herself to have to comfort Blaine once more.

“What happened?” Cooper was the first to speak up, also looking concerned by the way Blaine looked down, like he was ashamed of something.

“It was really tough on him,” said Kurt, in a somber tone. “Why don’t you tell them, honey?”

Blaine shrugged, then brought his hands from where they had been hiding behind his back and held up a piece of paper. Suddenly he looked up and in an instant his expression morphed into excitement and joy.

“I passed!” he announced. It took a moment for it to sink in, then everyone cheered happily and pulled Blaine into a tight group hug. He grinned happily as he embraced everyone, then pulled back to grab Kurt and get him in on the hug as well. 

Kurt willingly wrapped his arms around Blaine’s waist, and while everyone offered Blaine their congratulations, it was Kurt’s whispered “I’m so proud of you” right in Blaine’s ear that meant the very most.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


	14. Santana Gives A Gift

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rachel makes her triumphant return to NYC, Santana gives Blaine the best gift ever, and a new member of the family is born.

_January 15, 2027_

Rachel Berry never honestly thought she would get married and start a family. Not after Finn died. How could she? There was still a Finn sized hole in her heart, and there always would be. But after years of trying to fill the hole by caring for Blaine, then building up her career – in movies, then television, and now Broadway - she was pleased to announce she had finally found someone worth settling down with.

It wasn’t exactly a new someone, though. She had always had a soft spot in her heart for Jesse St. James for as long as she had known him. They came back into each other’s lives as friends, then one night they became lovers, and then came the news. Rachel was pregnant. At first she had cried for hours, but then she called Jesse to tell him. After a few weeks of adjusting to the idea, Rachel decided to keep the baby and agreed to a relationship with Jesse, just to see how things went. 

Now, as she sat on the plane back to New York, she thought about her new fiancé unpacking boxes in their new apartment. She smiled as she thought about how far she had come, then looked down at the script laying open in her lap. It had taken her a little longer to achieve her goal of starring on Broadway, but it had been a rewarding journey all along the way.

“Mommy?” A little voice pulled her attention and she looked down at the little two year old in the seat beside her. He had a mop of dirty blonde hair and brown eyes. He looked like the perfect combination of her and Jesse. Finn Christopher Berry – with her last name instead of his father’s, because it sounded better and she intended on keeping her name anyway – was the most important person in her life, and she couldn’t wait to share him with her friends and family in New York. 

“Yes, sweetie?” Rachel reached up to run her hand over little Finn’s hair, ruffling it up slightly. He laughed and ducked away.

“I hungee,” said the little boy, putting on his best pout. Rachel reached under the seat for her bag, pulling out a little baggy full of apple slices. She arranged them on a napkin for him and watched with a smile as he ate them happily. For some reason, watching him reminded her of a certain someone in New York she was particularly excited to see.

She hadn’t seen Blaine in person since his and Kurt’s wedding, and their Skype dates had been few and far between since little Finn had been born. He didn’t even know she was a mother now, but she was excited to tell him. Without all those years helping to take care of Blaine, she knew she wouldn’t be half as good at taking care of her son as she was. 

When Finn was done with his apples, he curled up in his seat and fell asleep. Rachel kept one arm around his little body and felt the steady rhythm of his breathing all the way to New York. 

…………………………..

_Two Days Later_

Blaine was excited. It had been so long since he’d seen Rachel, and he really missed her. They had once been best friends, but the past few years had reduced her to a distance friend. But now she was moving to New York and they had the chance to rekindle the friendship they once had. 

Kurt set the table in the dining room and the whole apartment smelled like lasagna. There were four place settings on the table because Kurt knew Rachel was bringing someone who she was apparently engaged to. Blaine didn’t know any more than that because Kurt insisted there weren’t any more details to give. So Blaine was now currently sitting by the peninsula in the kitchen, watching Kurt put the finishing touches on dinner and waiting for Rachel and her fiancé to arrive.

“Do you know his name?” asked Blaine as he tapped his fingers on the granite countertop.

“No, I already told you I don’t. She didn’t say his name. She didn’t say anything other than that she was coming over for dinner because she had a lot to tell us,” replied Kurt, his back to Blaine as he pulled out the vegetarian lasagna from the oven. 

Blaine hummed impatiently, his tummy rumbling softly. He was starving and he wished Rachel would get there soon so he could eat. Suddenly, something soft was pressed against his lips and he looked up. He hadn’t even realized Kurt had crossed the room towards him, but there he was, pressing a piece of warm, fresh baked bread to his mouth. Taking it, he ate it with a smile, then reached for Kurt.

“I have to finish…” Kurt laughed as Blaine tugged him so he was standing between his legs, then Kurt wrapped his arms around Blaine’s shoulders and leaned down to kiss him. “You’re all lovey after this morning, aren’t you?”

Blaine smiled and nodded, then leaned forward and pressed his cheek against Kurt’s muscled torso, nuzzling softly. He smiled as the memories of that morning distracted him from his hunger. Kurt had woken him up with soft kisses between his thighs, and then while he was still feeling sleepy, Kurt made love to him slow and sweet. It had been the best start to the day.

A knock on the door startled him out of his thoughts, and then Kurt was pulling away and asking if he would get that. He nodded and jumped to his feet, hurrying over to the door. Finally, Rachel was here! Opening it quickly, he prepared himself for the collide of Rachel’s small body against his for a reunion embrace. Instead, he froze at the sight before him.

Rachel stood there, but in her arms was a little boy who was no doubt her son. Blaine’s eyes were wide as he stared at the little boy. Rachel had a kid? _Rachel_?! Did _everyone_ have a kid but him and Kurt? Blaine could hardly believe what he was seeing. Why hadn’t she told him?

“Hi Blainey,” said Rachel, breaking the tension. She bounced the toddler in her arms gently and smiled.

“What…who…?” Blaine gestured vaguely at the little boy, who stared at him curiously.

Rachel smiled and looked at the little boy. “This is my son, Finn Christopher.” 

The little boy peeked up at Blaine and smiled at him, and Blaine felt his heart flutter a little. He was just so…so _cute_ and Blaine fought the urge to just reach out and take him from Rachel and hold him close and love him. Before he could, Kurt appeared beside him and let out a noise of surprise.

“Oh my god. Jesse?” Kurt was addressing the man beside Rachel. He handsome in a boyish way and Blaine vaguely recognized him from somewhere. Kurt seemed to know him, and he didn’t seem to be very approving. Finally, Kurt looked over at the little boy in Rachel’s arms and gasped softly. 

“Hello,” said Rachel, grinning. 

“You. Why didn’t you tell me?” asked Kurt, voicing what Blaine had thought. Rachel pushed her way into the apartment, Jesse following her, eyeing Kurt and offering him a nod.

“I wanted it to be a surprise!” said Rachel. “His name is Finn, after Finn of course. And before you ask, yes he is Jesse’s, and no he’s not the reason we’re engaged. I love them both very much and we’re a family. I miss Finn every day, but when Jesse and I crossed paths again, I knew that I wasn’t destined to spend the rest of my life alone or become a crazy cat lady or something. So here we are.”

Rachel tossed a smile in the direction of fiancé, who stepped closer to her and slipped an arm around her waist.

“It’s so nice to see you again, Kurt,” said Jesse. He was looking at Kurt with a smile that didn’t look real, and Blaine wasn’t sure he liked this guy very much. But Rachel loved him, so he couldn’t be all bad. Kurt began to say something to Jesse, and they struck up a conversation. Blaine was oblivious to the tone and content of the conversation, as his gaze was locked on the child in Rachel’s arms and he started to get those feelings again. The ones he sometimes got when Abby was little, the need to hold and care for and bond with a child.

“Do you want to hold him?” asked Rachel softly, stepping closer. Blaine looked up at her, eyes wide. “You were looking at him like you wanted to.”

Blaine nodded, feeling a little choked up. Little Finn was pliant in Rachel’s arms as she handed him over. He was quiet as Blaine took him, holding him snugly against his hip. The little boy’s brown eyes stared at Blaine curiously, and Blaine couldn’t help but smile at how right it felt to have a child in his arms.

“Finn, this is your Uncle Blaine.”

“Unca Bwaine,” repeated Finn. Blaine grinned and held him close. 

Eventually, the group of them moved to the dining room for dinner. There was a lot more talking than eating going on, and Blaine was as drawn to little Finn as he was to Abby. He had a hard time paying attention to some of the things the others spoke about, too busy in his own thoughts about what it would be like to have a child of his own.

He had tried hard not to think about it, tried to be happy with having Abby in his life. But now that Rachel was here with a kid of her own it made Blaine start to think things. Like would Kurt want to have kids with Blaine? How would they find someone to help them make a baby? What if Kurt didn’t want one? Would Blaine be happy with just Abby and now sometimes Finn? Blaine wasn’t sure of the answer to any of the questions he wondered, and he wasn’t even sure where to begin.

Later that night, long after Rachel and Jesse and Finn had returned to their own apartment, Kurt and Blaine were both submerged in the warm, relaxing water of the bathtub. Blaine was settled in between Kurt’s legs, letting his back rest against Kurt, fitting perfectly. Kurt’s arms were wrapped around him, his hands clasped over Blaine’s tummy as he pressed soft little kisses to the nape of his neck. 

“What’s going on in that beautiful mind?” sang Kurt softly, his lips brushing Blaine’s sensitive skin. 

Blaine smiled and ducked his head, loving the sound of Kurt’s voice low and sweet in his ear. 

“I saw you looking at Rachel’s son today,” said Kurt. Blaine hummed softly and snuggled back against Kurt. “I thought it was sweet that she named him after Finn. They were soulmates, like us. But now she’s not alone anymore.”

“I’m happy for her,” said Blaine. “She was always, always alone when I, when me and you and Santana had someone. But. But it’s funny. Like. We were the first to, to be a couple. Now we, we’re the only ones that don’t have a family. With, with kids.”

“Hmm.” Kurt paused in nuzzling the damp curls on the back of his head and squeezed him tighter for a moment. “We have Abby. She calls us daddy and papa.” 

“But she’s Santana and Veronica’s daughter.” Blaine sat up and twisted around, sloshing water all over and out of the tub. Kurt tried in vain to stop it, then sighed and just focused on Blaine, who looked so sincere and sweet as he looked at Kurt. Kurt ignored the water on the floor and reached for Blaine’s hand, giving in to the ever-present urge to touch the one most precious to him.

“We practically help raise her,” offered Kurt. He could tell by Blaine’s expression that it wasn’t enough. There was a flash of longing in Blaine’s eyes, the same one Kurt had spotted earlier when Blaine was watching Rachel take care of her son. Kurt had seen it before, when Abby had been a baby and taking care of her was new to him. 

“But she isn’t ours. I want to have a family with you. I want a baby that, with, with you. I want a baby that we make and, and we care for and raise. I want to have him or, or her to ourselves, whenever we want. So we don’t have to, to ask for permission to see them. Don’t you want that?” asked Blaine, looking up at Kurt hesitant, but hopeful.

Kurt stopped to think for a moment, even though everything inside of him screamed _yes! You’ve been waiting for this moment for years, you want a family with him, you want to raise his adorable curly haired babies, say yes!_ He had to think about the consequences. What would it take to bring a child into the world for them? A surrogate, an egg donor, going through the process of actually making the baby, then waiting nine months for the end result. There was so much to think about. How much would it cost to make it all happen? It wasn’t that Kurt didn’t have the money. He wasn’t poor by any means. But how much would some girl make them pay for her to carry their baby? How long would it take to find someone? Could they really trust someone they had never met before?

So many questions flooded Kurt’s mind, ones he knew Blaine never would have thought of on his own. But he looked into Blaine’s eyes, searching for proof that agreeing was the right thing. When he did, he nearly gasped a little at what he saw. Blaine looked…he almost looked desperate. He looked like he needed this more than anything. Like his life would never be complete if he didn’t become a father to his own child. It was then that Kurt knew without a doubt that he would make this happen for Blaine. For them both. 

“You know taking care of babies isn’t easy, right?” asked Kurt softly. Blaine’s brow furrowed slightly, one little wrinkle forming in his forehead. “They’re loud, like headache inducing loud. They cry, they smell, and they disrupt your sleeping schedule horribly. You have to feed them, burp them, and change them. You have to carry them, bathe them, and get puked on by them. It’s not going to be easy. And that’s only if we find a surrogate and a donor to help us make a baby.”

“Kurt.” Blaine looked at him seriously. “If Rachel can do all that stuff, then, then you _know_ I can too.”

Kurt laughed and leaned forward, kissing Blaine softly. 

“You have a point. Alright. Let’s do it. Let’s have a baby,” said Kurt with a smile. It took Blaine a moment to realize what he said, but as soon as he did, his whole face lit up like Times Square on New Year’s Eve. Blaine nearly launched himself at Kurt to hug him tight, sending more water sloshing all over the bathroom. Kurt just laughed and hugged his slippery wet husband back. 

After sixteen years of being together and seven years of being married, they were finally going to do it. They were going to bring a child into their crazy little family, and it was going to be perfect.

……………………………

“You have been glued to that thing for two hours. What is so important that you can’t listen to me bitch about how incompetent the writers of this show are?” Santana snapped, finally drawing Blaine’s attention from the screen of his tablet. He looked up at her like he hadn’t heard a single word she’d said.

“Huh? I’m sorry,” said Blaine before turning back to his screen. 

Santana reached across the table where they were sitting in the breakfast nook of her and Veronica’s condo and snatched the tablet from his hands. 

“Hey!” Blaine tried to grab it back, but she was too fast. She raised an eyebrow as she scrolled down the list he had been making. 

“What’s this?” Her eyes scanned the words and she was genuinely surprised by what she saw. It was a list of names. Dozens of names. First and middle names in various combinations, separated by boy names, girl names, and unisex names. Santana looked up at Blaine and found him blushing softly.

“They’re. Um. They. It’s baby names,” replied Blaine, barely audible. He looked down at the table, a little smile on his face. Both of Santana’s eyebrows were raised now.

“Is this just a thing, or are you actually thinking about asking Kurt about this?” asked Santana. She passed the tablet back across the table and Blaine grabbed it and pulled it into his arms, hugging it to his chest protectively. 

“I, um. He already said yes. We’re interviewing surrogates next week,” said Blaine. 

Santana seemed to be rendered speechless for a moment. When Blaine chanced a glance back up at her, she was staring at him with a thoughtful expression. He was about to ask her what was on her mind, but a smile tugged one corner of her mouth up and she spoke first.

“So, do you have a favorite? Name, I mean.”

“Oh. Well. Yes,” said Blaine. His cheeks flushed again, a little embarrassed to have been planning ahead before the baby was even conceived. “I like Noah for a boy. Noah Joseph. And, and for a, a girl. I like Allison. Allison Elizabeth.”

“I think those are wonderful names. I’m sure Kurt has opinions on names, though,” said Santana. She put her elbows on the table and held her coffee mug in both hands, watching him over the little wisps of steam rising from it.

“Those names are on Kurt’s acceptable list,” said Blaine, smiling as though he were recalling some conversation he had with Kurt. Santana laughed softly and shook her head. Blaine continued, suddenly sparked by his excitement about becoming a dad to his own child. He went on and on, talking about all the planning he and Kurt had been doing the last few days, excited to grow their family as fast as possible. 

Santana half listened, her eyes tracing over all the features of his face as he spoke. She nodded each time he paused, to show him she was still sort of paying attention, even though all she was really thinking was that she and Blaine could actually make a really, _really_ cute baby.

……………………………..

Kurt was honestly surprised by the amount of absolutely insane women they had spoken with so far. They had arranged meetings with a dozen potential surrogates, meeting them in the semi-private corner table at the little café down the street from their building. Eight of their interviewees had begun the conversation by asking how much they were going to get paid. One showed up just to give them a lecture about how surrogacy was just using women’s bodies for money why don’t they just adopt some poor sick kid from Africa. Another woman was already pregnant and was looking for her next “job”. The other two could have worked, but Kurt was a little too overprotective and refused to have anyone in their lives that could potentially cause Blaine any discomfort by the way they rudely stare at him through the entire twenty minute interview.

He sighed. Maybe this was hopeless. 

“We should just go home,” said Kurt. “Try this again another day.”

Blaine looked up at him like he had just murdered the baby that hadn’t even been conceived yet. 

“But, but what about our baby?” Blaine pouted softly. Kurt sighed and settled down into his seat.

“There’s only two more people, and they should have shown up by now. We’ll still find a way to have our baby, I promise. I’m just tired of doing this today. It will take some time for the right person to come along. You have to have some patience.” Kurt reached for Blaine’s hand and gave it a little squeeze. Blaine sighed and gave a half-hearted squeeze back.

“Fine. Let’s go.” Blaine was about to sit up when suddenly the loud, cringe-inducing scrape of a chair being roughly pulled along a tile floor made him freeze. He looked across the table to the source of the noise to find Santana seating herself across the table from them. She was dressed in a short black dress with tall six inch heels, her hair down and cascading over her shoulders beautifully. She looked amazing, and like she hadn’t aged since high school.

“Santana?” Kurt spoke up first, his eyes narrowed suspiciously as he looked her over. “What are you doing here? And why are you dressed like that?”

“This is how I dress for interviews. Showing this much skin usually guarantees me a yes,” said Santana. She set her purse on the table and passed a hand through her hair. “That is what you’re doing here, right?”

Kurt looked confused, and for once Blaine was the one catching on first. His eyes widened as he sat up straighter in his seat.

“You’re here for. You want to. You want to be our surrogate?” asked Blaine.

“I sure do. I honestly couldn’t think of anyone better for the job. I mean, we live close. We see each other practically every day. I’m in perfect health. I’ve been pregnant before and I still look this good. And let’s face it. Why use an egg donor when you’ve got these gorgeous Latina genes just waiting to make you a beautiful baby?” Santana swept her hands down her body, and Blaine couldn’t help following the motion with his eyes.

He could remember when Santana was pregnant the first time, how she looked round and glowing with the prospect of motherhood. He imagined what she looked like then, only with his baby inside of her. His hand clenched around Kurt’s and he bounced slightly in his seat, silently telling Kurt _say yes say yes say yes_ this is perfect!

But Kurt didn’t seem convinced quite as easily. He leaned forward and rested his free arm on the table, looking at Santana with a calculated expression. 

“What’s your motive?” asked Kurt. Blaine’s excitement dwindled quickly. He knew that tone. It was Kurt’s tone whenever he was about to say no to something.

“My only motive is to put a smile on Blaine’s face,” said Santana sincerely. Kurt didn’t seem to buy it. “I’ve been watching him work hard to have a normal life just like you have, and I want to give him this. I would do anything for him and it doesn’t make sense to me that he should have to bring some stranger into this beautiful life we’ve all built for him just for nine months. And this way you will both be able to be a part of it from day one until the baby is born. You can trust me on this, Kurt.”

Kurt contemplated it for a moment, ignoring the burn of Blaine’s insistent stare trying to communicate his desires. Kurt knew what Blaine wanted. He wanted to say yes. This was, after all, the best option they’d had so far. Kurt already knew that he was going to do everything possible to ensure their baby was biologically Blaine’s, and with Blaine and Santana as parents, their child was guaranteed to be beautiful. 

“What does Veronica say about this?” asked Kurt.

“She’s on board one hundred percent,” replied Santana.

“Alright.” Kurt looked at Blaine and gave him a little smile. “You really sure about this?”

Blaine nodded enthusiastically, unable to control his the grin quickly spreading all the way up to his eyes, which crinkled adorably. 

“Well then. I guess it’s settled. The three of us are making a baby.”

…………………………..

Kurt did all the work setting up a doctor’s appointment at the clinic. They were going to do it all there, and hopefully it would work on the first try. Kurt wasn’t sure how many times he could convince Blaine to jerk off in a hospital room. Blaine was ready for it today. Kurt had been holding off sex for nearly a week now, and Blaine was getting a little grumpy from this change in their schedule. 

But first, before the appointment, Santana met Kurt at his apartment. Blaine was out to breakfast with his parents, a strategic date set up by Kurt so he could have this private moment to speak to Santana. She entered the apartment and hung up her jacket, then looked at Kurt, concerned. He hadn’t told her what he had asked her there for. He motioned for her to follow him into the kitchen, where a piece of paper was on the peninsula.

“I had Jack draw us up a contract,” said Kurt. Blaine’s father had retired from his firm in Ohio, but he made steps to ensure he was still able to practice law as needed, mostly for Blaine’s sake.

“Contract? Why?” asked Santana. “You don’t trust me or something?”

“No, it’s not that. I just need to ensure that you understand something very, very important.” Kurt nervously tapped his fingers on the counter beside the contract.

“Which is?”

“That his baby is ours. Mine and Blaine’s. Not yours. Yes, you are technically the biological mother, and if anything happens to us before it’s born, you have every right to decide what to do. But the second it’s born, you’re surrendering all parental rights and responsibilities. Blaine and I are going to be the ones signing the birth certificate. We will be the legal guardians. And while I honestly don’t care one way or another if it grows up calling you mom or Aunt Santana or whatever you want, I need you to understand you cannot be a parent to this child. All decisions regarding how he or she will be raised will be made by me and my husband. Are you sure you can handle that?”

Santana stared at him, her expression completely neutral. Kurt refused to look away, and their eyes were locked for a good two minutes before Santana finally broke the gaze. She looked over the contract, her eyes skimming the words that told her Kurt would pay for any baby related expenses and that by signing this she was agreeing to hand over all her rights as the mother of the child.

She knew what she was getting into when she agreed to this. She knew it was going to be Kurt and Blaine’s baby, not hers. But still, it kind of stung to be hit by the reality of it. She was going to be carrying a baby, giving birth to it, and then watching it grow up all while knowing that biologically it was hers. It didn’t matter though. This was for Blaine, so that Blaine could have a family with his husband.

“Yeah,” said Santana. “Yeah, no problem. I understand.”

She picked up a pen Kurt had set out for her and leaned over to sign the contract, making it official. 

“Thank you,” said Kurt. “If you could just not tell Blaine about this. I’m trying to keep the process as simple as possible for him.”

“Of course,” said Santana with a nod.

Kurt thanked her once more, then he went to hide the contract in his office and get ready for the appointment. Once Blaine got home from breakfast, the three of them took a cab to the clinic. Blaine sat between them, both of them holding his hands. He was a little bundle of nerves the whole ride there, excited for what was going to happen. Having a baby was all Blaine had been able to talk about since Kurt agreed to it.

They arrived at the clinic and got checked in, then before long they went in to see the doctor. After a few routine questions, Santana was given privacy to change into the gross paper hospital gown (which she protested to loudly), and Kurt and Blaine were given their own room to “collect their samples”. That part had made Blaine blush.

It took some time for both of them to make it work in the less than romantic surroundings, Kurt doing it for show more than anything. He was thankful Blaine didn’t notice when he slipped his sample into the trash on the way back into the room. Santana had explained to the doctor they were trying to keep up the illusion for Blaine that there was an equal chance that either Kurt or Blaine could be the biological father.

Both Kurt and Blaine decided they didn’t really want to be present for the next part, so they waited patiently for forty-five minutes until Santana came out of the room with a smile.

“Well, that’s it,” she said. “In a couple of days I’ll come back and take a pregnancy test and we’ll see how it goes from there.”

She smiled, laughing when Blaine all but launched himself at her to hug her. She held him close, looking over his shoulder at Kurt, who sent her a grateful smile in return. It was a couple of minutes before Blaine finally eased off of her, but Santana understood why. She was helping yet another dreams of his come true.

………………………….

They waited a month before officially announcing it. Blaine wanted to make sure that they was absolutely sure this was happening before he broke the news to his family. Jack and Viv were ecstatic at the prospect of finally becoming grandparents, and Cooper and Gina couldn’t wait to see their little niece or nephew.

Kurt waited a little longer to tell his dad, but finally one afternoon he was home from work early and Blaine was working an evening shift. He changed into some more comfortable clothes and settled on the couch, stretching out and laying down. He kept himself propped up enough so he could see his tablet screen. Starting up a video call, he waited for his dad to pick up.

Finally, his dad’s face appeared on the screen, upside down. He laughed softly as the picture blurred and flipped, then finally his dad’s face was there. Burt looked tired and a decade older than his fifty-six years, but Kurt took comfort in knowing his dad was healthy right now. Cancer free and living a healthy lifestyle thanks to Carole’s careful watchfulness.

“ _Hey kiddo_ ,” said Burt, waving at him. 

Kurt chuckled softly and waved back. 

“Hey dad. How are you?”

“ _Better now that I get to talk to you. I’ve missed you, Kurt_.” Burt leaned closer to the screen, like he was really looking at his son.

“I’m sorry it’s been so long since we’ve talked. I had a lot of tests to administer and grade last week, and then Blaine and I have been working on something really, really important,” said Kurt. He couldn’t help the dreamy look that flashed over his face for a few seconds, and his dad caught it instantly.

“ _Alright. What’s going on? You know you can’t hide anything from me_.”

Kurt smiled and nodded once. “You caught me. I’ve got some pretty big news. You might want to be sitting down for this.”

“ _I already am. Just tell me already_.” 

“Blaine and I have decided to expand our family. We’re going to have a baby,” said Kurt. It took a moment for it to sink in, but when it finally did Burt let out a surprised laugh as his face lit up with joy.

“ _Are you kidding me? That’s great! I’m finally going to get to have a grandbaby! Have you already found someone to be your surrogate or did you just decide it?_ ” 

“Santana has agreed to supply us with all the female parts of the baby making process, and as of yesterday she’s officially one month pregnant.” Kurt beamed with pride at getting to announce the news. 

“ _Kurt! That’s amazing! Jesus, I wish I was there right now, I’d hug you so hard!_ ” Burt seemed like he could hardly contain his excitement, and Kurt loved being the reason his dad was smiling so wide. “ _So did you and Blaine just, you know, mix it all up and you’ll see what happens?_ ”

“Actually, no,” said Kurt. “The baby is biologically Blaine’s. I didn’t contribute anything to it. I wanted it to be all him.”

Kurt had never seen a smile fade so quickly from his dad’s face. Burt went from filled with pride to shocked disappointment so fast that watching it made Kurt wince.

“ _So I’m not actually getting a grandbaby then_.”

“Dad. Don’t. It doesn’t matter who the biological father is. We shouldn’t even be talking about this. The baby is mine and Blaine’s equally. Just like everything else we have, we’re sharing this. I wanted Blaine to have this. I wanted Blaine’s parents to have this, for everything they’ve sacrificed for him. They deserve it,” Kurt explained. He had a lot of reasons for why he wanted the baby to be Blaine’s, but he knew his dad wouldn’t buy it if he claimed wanting the child to look like Blaine as an excuse.

“ _What about me? You don’t think I deserve it? What about your mother? Shouldn’t she live on through you?_ ” Burt was frowning now, so much so that there were deep lines in his face. Kurt’s heart ached to see it.

“It’s still as much my child as it is Blaine’s. You’ve got to understand that. Even if we both contributed, there would have been a fifty percent chance that the baby was Blaine’s anyway. Would you say these things then?”

Burt was silent for a moment. They both knew Kurt was right, and that Burt wouldn’t be complaining if it had happened that way, at least not out loud. Kurt watched his dad’s expression change as he wrestled with his own thoughts before finally letting out a sigh.

“ _I just don’t understand why you didn’t even try_ ,” said Burt.

“I don’t know. Okay? I don’t know. I just got this idea in my head that this baby needed to be Blaine’s. Maybe to give him something normal. Just think about how happy he’ll be when that child is born with a perfectly normal, functioning brain,” said Kurt. 

“ _So it comes down to what it always comes down to. You sacrifice to put a smile on his face_.” Burt shook his head. He had come so far in accepting that Kurt and Blaine were going to be together forever, but he never let this one thing go.

“I don’t think of it like that,” said Kurt. “I’m getting a baby of all this. You’re getting a grandchild. I’m getting to have a family with my husband. I thought you would be happy.”

Burt sighed, shook his head once, then sighed again.

“ _I am happy, Kurt. I am so happy for you. When you first came out to me, I was afraid you wouldn’t get any of this stuff. Kids, a family, someone who loves you like Blaine does. I think it’s great. Yeah, I am a little disappointed it’s not yours, but only because I wish I could have seen your mom’s beautiful smile passed on to one more generation_.”

Kurt smiled softly and relaxed. He did understand where his dad was coming from. Even after all these years, Burt still loved his late wife very deeply. If the roles were reversed and Kurt was wanting to see Blaine live on into future generations, he would react the same way.

“It’ll be okay, dad. And who’s to say this will be our only child? If we have another, I’ll do everything in my power to make sure it has mom’s smile. Okay?” Kurt offered. Burt seemed to consider it for a moment before nodding.

“ _Alright, buddy. You got a deal._ ”

Kurt smiled the smile that reminded Burt so much of his late wife, and the two relaxed and began to chat about everything that had happened in their lives since their last conversation. They talked for a few hours until Kurt heard the door click open when Blaine arrived home. He said goodbye to his dad, and Burt wished him luck with the baby, then ended the call just in time for his tired husband to collapse beside him on the couch. 

“I told my dad,” said Kurt, drawing Blaine into his arms and kissing the top of his head. His curls were soft and loose today, and Kurt loved pressing his nose into them and smelling the sweet mix of shampoo and Blaine.

“Was he happy?” asked Blaine, looking up at him as he snuggled close.

“Very.” Kurt kissed him again, this time on the lips. “Almost as happy as I am.”

…………………………….

As the pregnancy months ticked by, Kurt and Blaine argued a lot. About everything from baby names to nursery decorations to when is it too early to buy baby clothes. Of course, they never went to bed angry. It’s hard to be angry after a spectacular round of make-up sex. Sometimes Blaine thought Kurt would start arguments just so they could have sex. He wasn’t going to complain about that, even if the arguing was a little painful sometimes.

They had agreed to wait until the baby was born before finding out what the sex was, so it was a terribly long eight months. As Santana neared eight and a half months pregnant, one of them was always with her. Kurt and Blaine alternated spending days and nights at her place. They were both equally available, since Blaine had quit his job at the store in anticipation of the exhaustion of parenthood – a decision he did not take lightly – and Kurt had taken a year off from teaching for a kind of extended paternity leave. 

Finally, after a week of constantly being followed by them, Santana came out of her bedroom one evening with her hand covering her large belly. Kurt and Blaine were both sitting on the couch watching television, a napping Abby nestled between them. Blaine looked up as soon as she entered, raising an eyebrow curiously.

“So. It’s time,” announced Santana.

It took a moment for it to sink in, but when it did the entire apartment seemed to explode with energy. Kurt called a cab and Abby ran to go find Veronica and Blaine was having a minor breakdown as he scrambled to gather the pre-prepared hospital bags containing everything they and Santana would need for their stay. 

Santana was the calmest one of them all, gritting her teeth against the pain of the oncoming contractions. She had been feeling them on and off for a while, but she knew from experience when it was time to go to the hospital. Spending an unnecessary few hours or even days in the hospital did not sit well with her, so she let her own body tell her it was time. They ushered her slowly to the elevator, then out of the building and into the waiting cab. The other four climbed in with her, even Abby buzzing with excitement.

Blaine seemed to be in shock, so Santana reached for his hand and squeezed it tight when another contraction hit. He gasped, surprised by the strength of her grip.

“Multiply it by like a thousand and that’s how much giving birth to your baby hurts,” she said, her tone teasing. Blaine’s eyes widened comically and he scooted closer to her, pressing his free hand to her belly. 

“It’s okay baby,” said Blaine. “You’ll come out soon, then, then I can, then you can meet your daddy and papa!” 

Kurt was on Blaine’s other side, his arm around his waist as he looked over at Santana. 

“Are you alright? Are you feeling okay?” asked Kurt somewhat frantically. 

“I’m fine. It’s fine. It’s nothing I haven’t done before. Just chill.” Santana rolled her eyes. 

It wasn’t long before they arrived at the hospital, and Santana was put up in a private room by Kurt’s request. She refused drugs of any kind, instead just prepared to endure as natural of childbirth as she could. She was doing everything as she had done with Abby, since she had turned out to be pretty much perfect.

Several more hours passed, and just as Blaine’s constant fretting had died down, the doctor arrived and confirmed that just a few more minutes and she would be ready to push. Kurt decided not to watch the actual birthing process, so he stood by Santana’s head and held the hand not clutched by Veronica. Blaine, on the other hand, was naturally curious. He looked over the doctor’s shoulder as he was telling Santana to push, and instantly went ghostly pale at what he saw.

Blaine took a step back and cringed as Santana cried out, deciding to just watch what he had deemed an overall horrible process from a distance. Before he knew it, Santana’s cries were replaced with those of the baby. Blaine watched as the doctor held up the crying infant, wiping it off quickly. He was stunned as they cut the cord and carried the baby over to where they could clean it and wrap it in a blanket.

“It’s a girl!” The doctor announced, and Blaine couldn’t help grinning happily. A girl! He had hoped it was a girl! 

Kurt was hugging him out of joy and crying out _a girl a girl Blaine it’s a girl_ and Blaine felt like he was frozen, his eyes glued to where nurses were preparing their baby. He watched as one woman picked the child up and carried her over to them.

“Who wants to hold her first?” asked the nurse, offering the tiny little bundle to them. Kurt nudged Blaine forward, and he reached out with trembling arms. He was in awe as he cradled the tiny little thing to his chest.

She was smaller than Abby had been, that was Blaine’s first thought. Her face was scrunched and her eyes pinched to narrow slits, not yet ready to face the blinding light of the real world. There was a light dusting of black hair on her tiny, oddly shaped head. She didn’t look like a real human, but at the same time Blaine thought she was the most beautiful human he had ever seen. 

“She’s so tiny oh my god,” whispered Kurt. He reached into the little bundle with the tip of his index finger and stroked along the warm, soft skin of her pudgy little arm. 

“She’s ours,” said Blaine. “She’s all ours.”

“Yeah she is. So. What do you think we should call her?” Kurt slipped one arm around Blaine, holding him close so he could be closer to their baby.

“Allison,” said Blaine. “I want to call her Allison. And. And Elizabeth after your mom. Allison Elizabeth Anderson-Hummel.”

“That’s perfect. That’s…it’s perfect.” Kurt leaned closer and kissed Blaine’s cheek, then down to kiss baby Allison’s cheek. 

“We could call her Alli for short,” said Blaine. Kurt hummed his agreement, unable to take his eyes off the little bundle in Blaine’s arms.

Kurt’s heart thudded in his chest as his eyes roamed over Allison’s tiny face. She looked like a perfect copy of Blaine’s baby pictures, right down to her cute little nose and her tiny, pursed lips. After some indeterminable amount of time, Blaine pressed her into Kurt’s arms. Feeling her warm, solid weight in his arms as he cradled her close was pretty much the most amazing thing Kurt had ever felt.

Kurt looked up at Blaine, who looked like the epitome of happiness. There was a sparkle in his eyes, like every dream he ever had was finally fulfilled. It was one more thing that he had done that his whole life he had been told he couldn’t. 

“Our beautiful baby,” said Blaine. He brushed his fingertips over her soft hair. “I just…I can’t believe it.”

“Believe it,” said Kurt. They looked up from the precious bundle for long enough to lock eyes. As much as they loved that little baby already, they were both absolutely positive they had never loved each other more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading and thanks for all the comments and kudos!


	15. Blaine Gives Kurt a Scare

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Blaine has to go to the hospital, and while there he gets an idea. Kurt leans a bit more about how Blaine's brain works.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Since this takes place in the future, I got a tiny bit creative with the medical stuff in this chapter assuming that medical science keeps progressing. I tried to keep it as realistic and believable as possible. With that said, I'd like to warn that this chapter features descriptions and discussions of stroke.

_November 4, 2030_

Kurt watched his students carefully as they practiced. He studied their technique and their movements, their facial expressions and their delivery of the dialogue. As he paused to watch two girls acting out a scene, he gave a few pointers about being more natural, then told them good job before moving on. 

His phone buzzed in his pocket and he pulled it out, seeing Blaine’s name over a picture of Blaine’s smiley, scrunched up face pressed against the cheek of their adorable three year old little girl. He knew he shouldn’t answer his phone in the middle of class, but this was the first time Blaine was spending the day alone with Allison. Usually he had Viv or Santana or Cooper around, but everyone was out of town for various reasons and Blaine decided he was ready to try parenting on his own.

Stepping outside of the classroom for a moment, he leaned against the wall and answered the call.

“Hi honey,” said Kurt, smiling to himself.

“ _Papa_!” Allison’s voice surprised him. Kurt stood up straight, instantly filled with concern. Allison never called him, not without Blaine talking to him first.

“Hello baby girl. Did you steal Daddy’s phone?” asked Kurt, trying to keep his worry from showing in his tone. Allison fed off others’ emotions much the same way Blaine did.

“ _I no steal it! I taked it ‘cause Daddy’s being silly_ ,” said Allison. Kurt’s brow furrowed and he took a deep breath.

“How is he being silly?”

“ _His talking went funny and he says his arm won’t go up_.”

Panic clenched tight in Kurt’s chest and his hands began to tremble.

“Okay. Okay, baby I need you to do something for me. I need you to pull the phone away from your ear and start up a video call, okay?” Kurt barely waited for the little girl to agree before covering the phone with one hand and stepping back into the classroom. “Everyone stop what you’re doing! I need a phone, now!”

His students slowly stopped their acting exercises and looked at him dumbly. Kurt did not have time for this.

“My husband is sick and I’m on the phone with my three year old and I need another phone to call for help!” he explained as quickly as he could. A boy near him pulled his phone from his pocket and handed it over quickly. Kurt thanked him, then stepped back out in the hallway and looked at his own phone. Allison’s little face was on the screen.

“ _Hi Papa_.” She waved at him.

“Hi, baby. I need you to point the phone at Daddy, okay? I need to see what he looks like.” 

The phone screen became a blur as she turned it around and pointed it at Blaine, who was sitting on the edge of the couch, one elbow propped up on his knee, holding his head up, while the other dangled uselessly by his side. Blaine was talking, trying to tell Allison that everything was okay, but his words slurred together terribly, almost to the point where Kurt couldn’t understand him.

“Okay, sweetie let me see your face,” said Kurt. His fingers were shaking clumsily as he picked up his student’s phone, dialing 911. Allison was looking back at him again, now concerned as well. “I’m calling for help right now, Alli. I need you to hold Daddy’s hand for me and tell him help is coming.”

Allison nodded and Kurt watched the screen on the phone as the 911 operator answered.

“ _911, are you calling for an emergency_?”

“Yes, yes my husband is having a stroke.” Kurt nearly choked as he said the words out loud. He took a deep breath and before he lost it, he hastily explained he wasn’t home and his daughter had called to tell him something was wrong. Then he gave the operator their address and turned back to his phone, to see Allison staring at him as she hugged Blaine’s arm that was just hanging there.

“Alli, sweetie, I need you to listen really carefully, okay?” Kurt watched as she nodded, pressing her cheek against Blaine’s arm. “In a few minutes there’s going to be a knock on the door. I need you to answer the door when they do. You won’t know who they are, but they’re going to help Daddy. Do you understand?”

Allison nodded. “ _Yes, Papa. Answer the door. Got it_.”

“Good girl. Stay on the phone for me, I’m on my way home now. Just sit tight and stay with Daddy until someone’s at the door.” Kurt waited for her to respond in the affirmative before going back into his classroom. It hadn’t really hit him yet, what was happening. He handed the borrowed phone back to the student waiting just inside the doorway. “Class is cancelled. I’ve got to go home. Blaine’s having a stroke.” 

There were a few gasps around the room as Kurt gathered his things and hurried out of the room. He glanced down at his phone every few seconds, watching the angled, slightly fuzzy picture of Allison sitting beside Blaine. By the time Kurt was in a cab and on his way, he saw the picture change and watched a blurry picture moving. He could here knocking and then the sound of the door opening before feet were passing by the phone’s camera. 

He urged the cab driver to take the fastest route and avoid sitting in as much traffic as possible, and tried to hold down his nausea as the cab weaved through traffic quickly as possible. 

“ _Papa_?” came Allison’s voice. Kurt looked down at the phone and put on a smile for his little girl. She was in tears now, though, looking at him through the screen with big hazel eyes.

“It’s okay, baby girl. Papa’s on his way. How’s Daddy?” 

“ _They made him lay down and he cried and I don’t think he’s very happy_ ,” said Allison. Kurt felt his heart clench in his chest and he tried to stay composed, but it was hard to shield his daughter from his worry. He was trying to be strong but all he could think about was getting to Blaine as fast as he possibly could. 

“You’re a good girl, Alli. I’m so close. Are the men trying to leave with Daddy yet?” 

“ _No_ ,” Allison shook her head, curls bouncing everywhere. “ _They’s talkin to him. I think he scared. I scared too, Papa_.”

Kurt bit his lip and looked up as the cab slowed, relieved to see their building just down the block. Traffic was blocking the road the rest of the way there, people slowed by the ambulance lights flashing near the base of the building. Kurt told Allison to sit tight, he’d be there soon, then hung up and fished around in his wallet. He pulled out some cash, tossing it at the driver. Grabbing his things, he ran down the sidewalk the rest of the way to the building. 

The elevator was busy as he poked the button more times than necessary. Just when he was contemplating taking the stairs, the doors opened. He hurried inside and poked the button for their floor, hurriedly pressing the close door button. The next thirty seconds felt as long as his life had been thus far, and as soon as he was out he hurried to his and Blaine’s apartment. The door was open as paramedics pushed a stretcher out, carrying an immobilized Blaine.

Tears stung Kurt’s eyes as Allison ran out the door after them. She caught sight of Kurt and bolted toward him. He leaned down and hoisted her up into his arms, then hurried with the paramedics to the elevator. He identified himself as Blaine’s husband and held Allison with one arm, tucking his other hand in Blaine’s as he looked down at him.

“’M all…nee’ shoo doo…” Blaine looked up at him, mumbling softly as he squeezed Kurt’s hand. There were tears leaking from Blaine’s eyes, pulled by gravity straight down and dampening his hair. Kurt could tell Blaine was terrified, and Kurt could sympathize. Allison clung to him, her arms around his neck so tight it was getting hard to breathe. 

Kurt couldn’t take his eyes off Blaine, though, silently begging him to be strong and be okay and to pull through. Blaine just looked confused. Confused, scared, and in pain, staring up at Kurt like he had the power to make it all go away. Kurt wished he did.

…………………………….

Allison played a game on Kurt’s phone, perched in his lap as he sat outside the curtained off area around Blaine’s bed. He held her close, feeling the comforting warmth of her little body. She was so small and innocent, and he hated that she had to be a witness to the unpleasant side of Blaine’s life. But now she was occupied with his phone in her hands, distracted by a game. Kurt rarely let her play with it, but now he figured it was a decent time.

He had to deal with all of this by himself. Cooper and Gina were in L.A., Santana and her family were on vacation in Hawaii, and Jack and Viv were on a cruise for their anniversary. He hadn’t called any of them, knowing most of them couldn’t make it back easily if they tried. Instead he sat alone with Allison, bearing the brunt of the worry. 

“Kurt?” 

A voice drew Kurt out of his cluttered thoughts and he looked up to see the doctor emerging from the curtain. It was Blaine’s usual doctor, Dr. McKinney. He usually worked strictly in the neurology department, but he had been Blaine’s regular care physician for nearly fifteen years now. At first he had been intrigued by Blaine’s case, but after seeing him a few times it became clear he was the right person to handle Blaine’s needs. Today, he had made the trip three floors down to examine his patient.

Kurt stood and set Allison in his chair, then stepped off to the side to hear what Dr. McKinney had to say.

“I’ve given Blaine a thorough examination and he doesn’t seem to have any of the signs or symptoms you described when he came in. I was just speaking to him a moment ago, and his speech seemed to be normal by Blaine standards. I asked him to raise his arms in turn, and there were no problems with his mobility. However, given Blaine’s history I’m not about to dismiss this. We can never be too cautious. I’ve got him scheduled for some scans and we’ll get him thoroughly checked out,” said the doctor. 

Kurt looked nervously in the direction of Blaine’s bed and wrapped his arms around himself. He felt so helpless with the usual source of his strength laying in that bed. Somehow, hearing that Blaine’s symptoms were gone did little to comfort him. 

“Do you have any idea what could have caused the blurred speech and all that? It looked like he was having a stroke,” said Kurt.

“My initial suspicion is that he’s suffered from a transient ischemic attack. Sometimes called a ‘mini stroke’. We’ve known for years that anything is possible, good and bad, when it comes to Blaine. This basically tells us to start getting a little more prepared for the bad. TIA occurs when blood flow to the brain had been blocked, and it usually resolves itself. Many people who experience it never even seek medical attention because the symptoms go away quickly,” explained the doctor. 

Kurt’s eyes had widened when he mentioned preparing for the bad. Panic was bubbling up inside of him again at the thought of anything getting worse for Blaine. He already had it bad enough. Kurt knew what having a real stroke could do. It could make the brain damage worse. It could undo all the progress he had made in his life. Or it could kill him.

“Kurt. I know what you’re thinking. I’m going to do everything I can to help him live as long and healthy of a life as possible.” Dr. McKinney put a hand on his shoulder in a comforting gesture, but it only made him flinch away. Kurt didn’t want to be touched by anyone but Blaine right now.

“Can I see him?” asked Kurt. The doctor nodded. Before he went in, he paused and asked if they could get a nurse to sit with Allison for a few minutes. Dr. McKinney called for one and offered to wait until someone arrived. Kurt nodded, not really in the right headspace to be concerned about her at the moment, and slipped inside the curtain.

Blaine was awake, watching the opening of the curtain as Kurt entered it. Instantly, Kurt hurried to his side and reached for his hand.

“Kurt…” Blaine laced their fingers together and Kurt hushed him with a gentle kiss. When Kurt pulled back, he smoothed a hand over Blaine’s hair and looked into his eyes.

“My brave, strong husband,” whispered Kurt, pressing another little kiss to his cheek. “I was so worried. I swear you’re going to give me my first gray hair before long.”

Blaine gave him a little tired smile.

“I’m sorry,” said Blaine. “I don’t even know how, what happened. It just, I was confused and my head still hurts.”

“I know, honey,” said Kurt, still resting a comforting hand lightly tangled in his soft curls. He looked down at his husband’s beautiful face. He was starting to show his age, with little lines around his eyes and forehead, and his hair starting to thin just the tiniest bit in the back. To Kurt, he would always see the beautiful boy he had fallen in love with all those years ago. 

“Love you.” Blaine leaned into Kurt’s hand, his eyes fluttering in a dreamy way at the touch.

“Love you more.” Kurt brushed his thumb over Blaine’s cheek softly. “Alli was very brave too, just like her Daddy. She called me and told me what was going on, and I was able to call for help. She’s very smart.”

“She knows, she can tell that I’m different,” said Blaine. “I think it’s, like some, some kind of instinct or something.”

“She loves you very much,” said Kurt. He glanced to the curtain, then back at Blaine. Now that he was sure Blaine was fine, he felt better about letting Allison in. “Do you want to see her?”

Blaine nodded, and Kurt stood to go get her. Blaine was reluctant to let go of Kurt’s hand, but he did eventually knowing Kurt was coming right back. Kurt disappeared out of the curtain for one moment, then brought Allison in, holding her little hand in his as he led her over to Blaine’s bed. He hoisted her up to sit on the bed.

“Hi Daddy,” said Allison. She looked at Blaine with big eyes that were identical to his. He smiled and reached for her, weakly pulling her up so she laid by his side, one of her little arms flung over his chest. He held her close, slowly winding a finger around the curls of her hair. 

“Hi Alli,” said Blaine. He smiled and leaned forward enough to kiss her softly on the forehead. Her whole face scrunched up adorably and she wiggled away.

“Daddy kisses!” Allison squealed happily and buried her face in Blaine’s shoulder. 

Blaine grinned as he wrapped both arms around her, finding comfort in the distraction of cuddling close to his little girl. Some days he still couldn’t believe he and Kurt were so lucky to have her at all, and when he looked at her and saw so much of himself looking back at him, he couldn’t believe he had helped create another human. She was perfect in every way possible, and he loved her almost as much as he loved Kurt. Maybe more, sometimes. But it was really hard to love anyone more than he loved Kurt.

He glanced up to see Kurt standing at the foot of his bed, his arms folded around himself. He looked sick with worry, paler than usual and his lips turned down into a frown. By the way his blue eyes seemed to be looking right past Blaine, he seemed to be deep in thought about something not very pleasant. 

“Kurt?” Blaine shifted slightly, keeping Allison close as he reached one hand out for Kurt. After a few seconds, Kurt made no move to accept the hand, but his gaze focused on Blaine’s face. “Kurt, what’s wrong?”

“I’m worried,” snapped Kurt, coming off a little angrier than he intended. Blaine cringed instantly and looked away. 

“I’m sorry…” Blaine said softly, looking down at Allison. He brushed his fingers over her soft, round little cheeks. Kurt’s gaze made his skin tingle in a hot, unpleasant way. 

“You’re sorry. That’s great. How is you being sorry going to help me when I have to spend every minute of every hour of every day for the rest of your life worrying that you’re going to have an actual stroke and _die_?” Kurt unfolded his arms and held up his hands, as though expecting Blaine to give him an answer. 

Allison let out a little whimper at Kurt’s words and pressed closer to Blaine, who felt tears prickle his eyes as he squeezed them shut. He knew Kurt was upset, but hadn’t their daughter been traumatized enough for one day? Did they _really_ have to do this now?

“Your doctor said this was just a warning. That something is probably coming, Blaine. Something that could make you a lot worse!” Kurt raised his voice even more, and Allison let out a little whimper. Blaine felt a burst of anger of his own at the sound.

“Kurt, stop yelling! Stop!” Blaine half tried to shield Allison from their fight the best he could laying in his hospital bed. “I am sorry! I can’t, can’t help what happens! I do everything all the, the doctors say and I take the medicine they give and I want to, to live! It’s my, it is my life that could be lost! You can’t blame me for something that, something I can’t control. You know I never asked to be like this.” 

Kurt stared at him for a moment, his expression unreadable. Blaine stared back, fighting the headache blooming just under his temple.

“You’re right,” said Kurt softly. He looked down and turned away. “You’re right. I just. I can’t stand the thought of losing you. Everything is perfect. You and me and Allison. Our lives are _perfect_ right now. And after today, I’m terrified it’s all going to go away.”

“Me too.” Blaine pressed another kiss to Allison’s forehead, soothing her gently as she cried quietly. “Kurt, me too. Just please don’t be mad at me.”

Kurt sighed, then he turned back toward Blaine, reaching out his hand and wiggling his fingers. Blaine smiled and grasped it in his, then tugged Kurt closer. 

“Never,” said Kurt. “I’ll never be mad at you for something like this. I love you too much.”

He brought Blaine’s hand up to his lips and pressed it to them, holding it there for a moment. Blaine’s long eyelashes fluttered slightly and Kurt’s heart ached. He couldn’t stop thinking about how just an hour ago Blaine was hurting and scared, his words slurring and his body limp. But for now, Blaine seemed to be over it. The worst part though was that Kurt didn’t know how long that was going to last.

……………………………

A few hours passed and Allison was sleeping soundly tucked against Blaine’s body. They had been moved to a private room and were watching reality television reruns, holding hands as Kurt sat in a chair pressed against the side of Blaine’s bed. He stroked his thumb over Blaine’s knuckles, just happy for the physical contact.

A knock on the door startled them both, and then it opened to reveal Dr. McKinney. He announced it was time to take Blaine in to get his scans done. Kurt took the sleeping toddler in his arms and carried her as they got Blaine in a wheelchair, pushing him through the hospital hallways. Kurt waited outside, Allison in his lap as they took Blaine inside to get his scans done.

Half an hour in, the doors opened and Dr. McKinney came out. Kurt looked up, instantly worried.

“You know, it’s occurred to me that you’ve never seen the mystery that is the inside of his brain,” said the doctor. Kurt’s brow furrowed and he looked up at him. “I want to show you something. Come on. Alli can come in too.”

Kurt stood, jostling the little girl slight but not enough to wake her, as he hurried after the doctor. They entered a small room encased in glass, looking out into a bigger room where large machine hummed. Kurt could see half of Blaine’s body lying on a table, sticking out from inside the machine. Computer monitors had colorful images in the shape of a head displayed from all different angles.

“Is that Blaine’s brain?” asked Kurt, pointing at the screen. 

“Yes that is,” said the doctor. He sat at the chair in front of the computer and tapped the screen a few times before bringing up another image. “This is a scan of another patient of mine, someone with what we would consider a normal brain.”

Kurt leaned closer and studied the images. On Blaine’s image, there was a dark green, fuzzy spot near the front of his head, right in the spot he usually seemed to get his headaches. On the “normal” image, there were bright green waves in the same spot. 

“The green indicates brain activity. The brighter the color, the more activity is going on,” explained Dr. McKinney. He pointed his finger at another area of Blaine’s brain, where the color was brighter than any spot on the “normal” brain. 

“These two images are taking in response to the same stimuli. This area,” he pointed to the dark area on Blaine’s image, “is where the worst of the injury occurred. It’s still functioning to a point, but these areas,” he gestured to the brighter areas, “seem to be compensating. It’s fascinating. It’s as if instead of healing the damaged area, his brain simply rewired itself so that rest of the brain has taken on the functions of the damaged area.”

“Is that why it’s taken him so long to get better? Because instead of healing his brain restarted from scratch?” asked Kurt, unable to take his eyes off the image. 

“It is a possibility. Brain research has come so far in the years since his accident, but there’s still so much we don’t know about it. I’ve run these scans a dozen times on Blaine since the hospital got this machine, and that is the best interpretation I can give. I’ve never seen a case quite this, well, extreme before,” said Dr. McKinney.

“Is that bad?” Kurt tugged his bottom lip between his teeth, casting a worried glance at the doctor. 

“Well, it is unfortunate that there’s still so much mystery involved. But from what I’m seeing here, his limited capabilities are due to the strain on the rest of the brain to pick up the functions of the injured area. And what happened today was because this dark area right now is minimally active, therefore less blood is flowing to it. That in turn made it so that for a brief time today, not enough blood was reaching his brain, giving stroke-like symptoms.”

Kurt hummed softly, but didn’t feel any less worried by this news. 

“What does this mean for him? Is he going to have a full on stroke?” asked Kurt.

“It’s difficult to say. I would say your best bet is to keep him stimulated. Keep his brain active, keep his body active, and make sure he sticks to his healthy diet. You said he plays piano? Get him playing an hour or more a day. Maybe get him another job, or let him help you at work. Getting him talking just to talk sometimes. That should help at least put it off for as long as possible. That, and I’d like to start seeing him more often. Probably once a month instead of every three.” Dr. McKinney looked up at Kurt to see if he understood.

Kurt nodded, trying to absorb all this new information. There was still so much to worry about, but he knew for the sake of Blaine and Allison, all he could do was make sure Blaine followed the doctor’s advice and lived his life to the fullest. Spending every minute dwelling on the negative would only make everyone unhappy.

“Hello?” Blaine’s voice startled him, sounding tinny through the microphone inside the machine. Kurt smiled as the doctor leaned forward to press the intercom button so he could reply.

“Sorry Blaine, I was just showing Kurt some of your scans,” said Dr. McKinney.

“Kurt’s there?” On the monitor, they could see Blaine try to sit up before he realized there wasn’t enough room inside the machine to do so.

“Yes I am,” said Kurt, smiling at his adorable husband. “You have a very pretty brain, honey.”

Blaine’s face scrunched up and he chuckled softly.

“Even though it’s broken?”

“That makes it prettier,” said Kurt. “It’s unique.”

Blaine rolled his eyes.

“You’re silly, Kurt,” said Blaine. “Can I get out of here now? I have to go to the bathroom.”

“Just a couple more minutes, Blaine,” said the doctor. “We’re almost done. Can you wait?”

Blaine hummed and nodded once, then remembered he was supposed to stay still. Kurt watched Blaine’s face in the monitor. Even seeing him like this, Kurt couldn’t help feeling his heart flutter and fill with love. In the grand scheme of things, it didn’t matter how much or how little time Kurt had with this beautiful man. His life was complete just knowing and loving him for as long as he had. 

As Kurt shifted a sleep heavy Allison in his arms, it suddenly occurred to him why he had been so insistent that Blaine be her biological father. Part of him had always feared that Blaine’s life would be cut short by his condition, and now no matter what he would have the most pure and beautiful part of Blaine with him. He gave the little girl a kiss on her cheek and felt her stir. She yawned with a little squeak and looked up at him.

“Papa? Where we now?” She blinked sleepily and started to take in her surroundings.

“Watching Daddy get scanned,” said Kurt, smiling at the little face that was like a miniature Blaine. “Wanna see Daddy’s brain?”

Allison perked up a little and nodded. She was no stranger to people talking about Blaine’s brain around her, and she wanted to see what the big deal was. Kurt lowered himself into a chair and pointed at the images on the screen. He explained to her in as simple of terms as possible what made Blaine so special. She stared, fascinated. 

“I like Daddy’s brain better,” she said matter-of-factly. Kurt chuckled softly and hugged her gently. He heard a little sniffle and suddenly he realized the intercom was still on. He looked at the monitor and saw Blaine smiling a crooked little smile and his eyes watering with tears. Blaine had heard everything Kurt said to Allison, and everything she had said to him. Hearing his daughter accept him so blindly brought happy tears to his eyes, and it was all Kurt could do to not cry with him.

……………………………

Once it was clear that Blaine wasn’t going to immediately have an actual stroke, Dr. McKinney gave them the all clear to go home. Kurt helped Blaine change into some clean clothes he had brought from home, not because he thought Blaine needed it but because sometimes he just missed helping Blaine like this. Blaine allowed him to do it, smiling blissfully at every little brush of Kurt’s fingertips on his skin. 

Blaine climbed from his hospital bed into the customary wheelchair, even though he could probably walk. Sometimes Kurt guessed he just liked being wheeled around by Kurt, and the thought made him smile. Once Blaine was sitting, he patted his lap and laughed when Allison climbed up into it, ready for a ride. 

Kurt grinned at his adorable family and leaned down to give Blaine a quick hug around the neck from behind before grasping the handles of the chair and pushing him out of the room. Allison was asking all kinds of questions about everything they saw on the ride down the hallway, and Blaine answered them with his unfortunately extensive knowledge of hospital operations. 

Suddenly, Kurt cringed and slowed as a child’s pained scream echoed down the hallway. It took him a moment to realize it was coming from the end of the hall, and there were frantic voices trying to calm the screaming. Kurt was about to turn around and take Blaine to the elevator on the other end when Blaine reached down and grabbed the wheel, stopping him from moving.

“Kurt, wait.” Blaine pushed himself out of the chair and set Allison down in his place.

“What’s wrong?” asked Kurt as Blaine began to slowly make his way toward the source of the commotion. Blaine seemed to be ignoring him, and Kurt just watched for a moment before following him slowly.

There was a woman standing outside the room containing the screaming child, and Blaine curiously walked toward her. She was staring into the room, her arms hugged tight around her waist and her face tired with worry. The screaming finally stopped and gave way to little crying sobs. Blaine looked into the room curiously and saw a little boy, maybe eight or nine years old, curled up on the bed with both hands clutching at his shaved head while a doctor tried to examine him.

“He just woke up,” said the woman. Blaine looked at her and he could instantly tell she was the boy’s mother.

“How long was he asleep?” asked Blaine.

“Seven weeks,” she replied.

“What caused it?” Blaine turned back to the room, studying the boy. He knew what the boy was feeling. He remembered it, waking up to pounding, agonizing pain in his head. Pain so blinding and sharp that it took over all his other senses. 

“We were riding our bikes to the park and he was hit by a car,” she said, her breath hitching as she said it, like the reality of what had happened still hadn’t set in for her yet.

“Mine happened in a car accident too,” Blaine told her. She looked up at him, eyes wide and questioning. “Brain damage,” he explained, pointing to his temple. “Coma for eight weeks, and, and then I had to learn how, how to do everything again. I was eight.”

“You…how did you know?” she asked, her expression turned suspicious.

“I remember. I was like that. And, and my, and I remember seeing Mama looking in the window at me, just like you,” said Blaine, trying to be as open and sincere as possible so this woman would believe him. She studied him for a moment, then shook her head.

“How long until you got better?” she asked.

Blaine glanced back at Kurt for a moment, then thought hard about the answer to her question. “Well, I’m still not ‘normal’. But I’ve been better for a while now. I, I’m married. And I have a daughter.”

She followed his gaze back to Kurt, and she let out a little bark of laughter.

“Well shit. You’re married to Kurt Hummel? You’re telling me that my son can go from that,” she pointed at the boy in the room, “to married to a fucking Broadway star?”

“In twenty years, anything can happen,” said Blaine. “Don’t give up hope. And have, be patient. Love him and have faith in him. Never tell him he can’t.”

She nodded and let out a heavy sigh, looking back at her son. 

“How long were you in the hospital?” she asked.

“From the accident to when I got out, around five months,” replied Blaine. She swore under her breath and shook her head, and Blaine cocked his head slightly, questioningly.

“I can’t afford that,” she said. “My husband works two jobs just to make rent and we still don’t even have health insurance. We’ve got two other kids at home to worry about too, and one of them is so smart. She got accepted into this private school, but now we’ve got to use every extra penny to pay for this. She won’t be able to go.” 

Blaine listened, feeling his heart ache for this woman. It never occurred to him how lucky he was to never have to worry about money. His parents never seemed to run out, and since Kurt began starring in Broadway shows, he knew their bank accounts were always full. When he had his accident, money had been the least of his parents’ issues. He never thought about people having problems like this woman faced.

“I’m sorry.” Blaine looked down, then back at Kurt. “I. Um. I’ve got to go now. But. I really hope things are okay. Just have faith.”

The woman nodded and sighed.

“Thank you,” she said softly. Blaine was about to turn and go before she reached out to stop him. “What’s your name?”

“I’m Blaine.” He gave her a little half smile, which she returned. She thanked him once more for his advice, then turned back to her son.

Blaine was deep in thought as he picked Allison up and took his seat back in the wheelchair. The three of them were silent as Kurt wheeled the chair to the elevator. No one spoke as they left the hospital and climbed into a cab that Kurt had called. Blaine sat in the middle of Kurt and Allison, both of them wanting to be close to him.

“Kurt.” Blaine finally spoke. 

“Yes, honey?”

“I think we should start a charity,” said Blaine. “That lady made me think. Brain injuries happen all the time. Not always as, not as bad as mine. But think about it. Kids in, playing sports get concussions. People fall and hit their heads. They get hurt. And not everyone can, they can’t afford to get help. And sometimes they need to know that there’s hope.”

Kurt seemed to be contemplating it, and Blaine looked up at him hopefully. Dr. McKinney had said something about getting Blaine back to work, and maybe this could take the place of another job. It was something he could do some real good with. He loved making people happy, and he was right. There were a lot of people out there that could benefit from learning about his experience and how he overcame his own injury.

“I think that is a wonderful idea,” said Kurt, smiling. Blaine’s face lit up, bright and excited at the prospect. “Whatever you need to get this started, I am here for your one hundred percent.” 

Blaine let out a little squeak of excitement and hugged Kurt as best as he could in the back seat of the cab. He knew the first thing he was going to do to start his shiny new charity was to find out how to raise money so he could give that lady at the hospital a way to pay the bills for her son. Blaine wanted that little boy to have all the same chances to get better that he had. There was so much he could do to help people, he couldn’t wait to get started.

…………………………..

Blaine’s charity projects were put on hold for a few days when Jack and Viv returned from their trip and discovered what had happened while they were gone. Viv had hugged him for a full ten minutes, squeezing him to the point where he had to push her off so he could take a breath. Then she demanded that he come spend a few days with her, just so she could soak up as much time with him as possible because to be honest, she was a little scared.

Kurt agreed to give up his husband for a few days so that he and Allison could have some Papa-daughter time, and after a very long and thorough goodbye kiss, Blaine went to stay with his parents. He hadn’t spent time with only them in a long time, and it was nice to just talk with Mama and watch television with Dad. It had been a while since he’d had Mama’s cooking, which was as good as always. 

He spent a fair amount of the time there sleeping, too. His incident and subsequent hospital trip had exhausted him, and he was catching up. It didn’t take long for him to start missing Kurt and Allison, but it was nice to recover without their constant distractions. 

Viv really enjoyed having him to herself for days on end, but Blaine could tell it was mostly because she was rattled by the possibility of losing him without saying goodbye. It hadn’t been the first time she was faced with it, but it didn’t make it any less frightening. Blaine attempted to ease her fears with a lot of cuddles. It made him feel young again, falling asleep watching movies curled up by her side. It didn’t feel weird at all, but strangely comforting to be close to her in that way. There was something about a mother’s embrace to make everything seem just a little bit better.

Finally, after four days, Blaine was missing Kurt too much and decided it was time to go home. He hugged Jack goodbye, then grabbed his overnight bag. Viv insisted on walking him home, even though she knew it was only a ten minute walk and he was perfectly capable of getting himself home. Blaine thought it was nice to be able to walk with her not because he needed it, but just because he wanted it.

At the entrance to his building, she hugged him tight for a long time. He just let her, knowing it would make her feel better to feel how alive and okay he was. Finally, she relinquished her hold on him and gave him a wet kiss on the cheek.

“You promise me that the next time something happens to you that I get called. I can’t stand the thought of not getting to say goodbye to you,” she said. Blaine could see tears in her eyes and he instantly pulled her back into his arms.

“I promise, Mama,” said Blaine, his voice muffled against her neck. 

“Good boy.” Viv gave him another kiss before gently pushing him toward the door. “Go on now. Your family is waiting for you.”

Blaine stumbled backwards a step and waved at her, telling her he loved her before grabbing up his bag and heading toward the door. She stayed there until he was inside, then she headed home. Blaine greeted Fred, the doorman, and headed to the elevator. Soft music played in the elevator and his fingers tapped against the side of his thigh in the movements he would make to play along with the music on the piano. 

The doors opened and he headed to his apartment. It was at the very end of the hallway, past three others. Unlocking the door, he pushed it open and had just enough time to set his bag inside the door before a tiny, solid weight collided with him.

“Daddy!” Allison yelled, throwing her arms around him. He hoisted her up and hugged her close.

“Alli!” Blaine laughed and peppered her little face with kisses until she scrunched up her nose and used both hands to push his head way. Blaine laughed and shifted her in his arms so he could see where Kurt leaned against the wall a few feet away.

“We missed you,” said Kurt, pushing off the wall and stepping closer. Blaine met him with a one-armed hug and a soft kiss on the lips that lasted a good fifteen seconds before Allison reminded them that she was still in Blaine’s arms by forcefully inserting herself between them.

“I missed you too,” said Blaine, grinning.

“Before you do anything else, Alli and I have a surprise for you,” said Kurt. Blaine’s eyebrows drifted up and he looked at Kurt curiously. Kurt took Blaine’s free hand and led him into the living room. 

Previously, the living room had been divided into two parts. The first part had been centered around an electric fireplace with the television mounted above it. The second part was more of a sitting room area, with three comfy chairs surrounding a small coffee table. Now, the furniture had been arranged so that it formed a kind of half circle facing the television, with the couch in the center, one chair on one side, and two of the sitting area chairs on the other. In the place of the sitting area there was now a gorgeous black Steinway baby grand piano. 

Blaine’s eyes widened as he stared at it, then he instantly sat Allison down on her own two feet and hurried over to the instrument, running his fingers over the glossy body of it. 

“Kurt. How. Kurt.” Blaine was at a loss for words as he looked up at Kurt, who grinned at him. Blaine walked all the way around it before sliding onto the cushioned bench. He uncovered the keys and brushed his fingers over them so lightly they didn’t even make sound. Finally, he pressed a few keys, tapping out a little melody. It was perfectly tuned and beautiful.

Kurt slid onto the bench beside him, picking Allison up and settling her in his lap. Blaine’s whole face was lit up in awe and pure happiness. 

“Why? It’s…it’s so much.” Blaine pulled his fingers away.

“When the doctor was telling me about keeping your brain activity up, he said the piano would be a good way to do it. I didn’t want to see you stuck in the office on that old keyboard where no one can hear it. I thought you deserved it. Plus, maybe you can start teaching Alli how to play,” said Kurt. 

“I wouldn’t be a very good teacher,” said Blaine, blushing softly. “I play by sounds, not sheet music.”

“But you could,” said Kurt. “I know you could. You try to tell me you can’t read musical notes, but I’ve seen you.”

“It’s just the patterns. I know the patterns.” Blaine reached up and played a few abstract chords. Allison watched him intently before leaning forward on Kurt’s lap and mirroring him, playing the same chord a couple of octaves higher. 

“See,” said Kurt. “You could teach her. She’s got her Daddy’s gift.”

Blaine smiled proudly as Allison played the chords a few more times before looking up at him. If she had half the promise he had before his accident, she could become everything he couldn’t. He decided then that he would teach her everything he knew, however little it was, and he hoped it was enough to give her a chance to follow her dreams. 

“Alright,” said Blaine. “Alright. I can teach her. I’ll do my best.”

He leaned forward and gave Allison a big kiss on the cheek, then leaned into Kurt’s side. He was back where he belonged, with his perfect little family, and he vowed to do everything he could to stay healthy so he could be with them forever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


	16. Blaine Grieves

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kurt, Blaine, and Alli plan on going to Disneyworld, then something turns Blaine's world upside down. And not in a good way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter features minor character death.

_July 15, 2036_

 

“Papa! I’m all packed!” Allison announced loudly. She pushed three wheeled suitcases in a line down the hallway, all of them stuffed so full she had to sit on them to close them. Kurt peeked his head into the hallway and laughed when he saw her.

“Oh geez. Someone takes after me,” said Kurt. He stepped out of the kitchen and took two of the suitcases, rolling them over to the entryway, adding them to the ones already there.

“I didn’t know what I should wear at Disneyworld! It’s only the best place on the planet! I can’t believe we’re actually going!” Allison let out a little squeal of excitement and bounced happily. 

She was eight years old, almost nine, and a bundle of constant energy. It had taken months since her eighth birthday for both Kurt and Blaine to relax around her and not worry all the time. Her age now had been traumatic for both Kurt and Blaine, and they were constantly watching her and themselves. Finally, they decided worrying wasn’t worth it, so they decided to make up for the time they had spent being overly protective by surprising her with a trip to Disneyworld.

It had been Blaine’s idea, which surprised Kurt. They talked a lot about it. About the traveling, the crowds of people, and the unfamiliar environments. Blaine was convinced he was old enough and had enough life experience by now to handle it, and Kurt trusted him to know his limits. 

“Believe it!” said Kurt, laughing as he ruffled up her wild mop of curls. “Now go wash up for dinner. Daddy should be home any second.”

She skipped down the hallway and Kurt chuckled to himself. Just as he was about to head back into the kitchen, he heard the click of the door being unlocked and then Blaine was stepping inside. Kurt smiled upon seeing his husband. Time had been kind to Blaine, as it had been to Kurt as well. His hair was streaked with gray and cut neatly short so that his wild curls were easily tamed into a gentle wave, and his face had a few more lines that showed his forty-one years. He was still as handsome as ever, though, and Kurt couldn’t help but admire his trim, muscled body as he bent over to untie his shoes. 

Blaine had started working out in the building’s gym a few years ago, after he had a brief period of freaking out that he was lacking the muscled physique Kurt sometimes admired from some of the actors in movies they watched. It had done wonders for his body, making his muscles and abs more defined and his already round ass even more delicious. Sometimes when Kurt looked at Blaine he completely forgot about anything that had to do with his brain. 

“Hello handsome,” said Kurt. Blaine stood up quickly, surprised. 

“Kurt!” Blaine smiled, then stepped over to him. “I didn’t see you there.” He pulled Kurt into his arms and gave him a soft kiss. They lingered for a moment before Kurt noticed Blaine’s eyes were darkening and he stepped back.

“Not now,” said Kurt. “Alli’s getting ready for dinner.”

Blaine nodded and stole one more kiss, smiling triumphantly as he did so. 

“How did benefit planning go?” asked Kurt, taking Blaine by the hand and tugging him into the kitchen. Blaine stepped over to the sink to wash his hands as Kurt got back to finishing up the last preparations of dinner.

“Good,” said Blaine. He shut off the water and grabbed a towel to dry his hands, turning around to face Kurt. “Miranda and Santana keep arguing about the, the catering. Miranda thinks we should do, go with the pasta bar because Santana’s bar-b-que place is too messy.” 

“What do you think?” asked Kurt.

“I’m, I like the pasta idea, but I left it to them. Veronica and I interviewed bartenders today,” replied Blaine. Kurt hummed in acknowledgement as he fixed three plates, setting them around the peninsula where they could eat dinner casually tonight. 

“Well, whatever happens I’m sure it will be good. I’ll start calling around for favors after our trip. I know some people who would love to perform. Rachel’s already agreed,” said Kurt. 

“Daddy!” Their conversation was interrupted as Allison hurried into the kitchen to hug Blaine. He laughed and picked her up, hugging her back.

“Alli! You are getting heavy!” Blaine teased, giving her a sloppy wet kiss. She gave him the scrunched up look she always gave him when he kissed her, then wiggled out of his arms until he set her down. 

“But I’m big enough to ride the rides at Disneyworld! I don’t know how I’m gonna sleep tonight. We’re going to _Disneyworld_ tomorrow!” Allison danced around happily before pulling herself up onto a stool.

Both Kurt and Blaine laughed as they sat on either side of her and began to eat.

“How’s your mom?” asked Kurt after a few minutes, looking over at Blaine. He gave a little half shrug and instantly went from eating with enthusiasm to picking at his food. 

“Still sick,” said Blaine. He pushed roasted carrots around for a moment before taking a bite. “I’m gonna see her tomorrow morning, before we leave.”

“Honey, if you’re so worried, we don’t have to go. We can postpone the trip until she’s better,” offered Kurt. Allison dropped her fork and looked up at him as though he had stepped on the puppy she desperately wished she could have. 

“Papa, no!” she cried. 

“Alli, hush. You and Papa are going no matter what,” said Blaine. She relaxed instantly and went back to her meal. “I want to go, but I, it’s scary. She’s really sick.”

“Well, she says it’s just the flu, right? Nobody dies from the flu anymore,” said Kurt. Blaine shrugged and shoved a forkful of carrots in his mouth. Kurt knew Blaine was worried. Both their parents were getting older now, and while Burt was as healthy as ever, Kurt knew what worrying was like. Blaine had always had both his parents there for him, and they had both always seemed like unbreakable figures, always strong and always ready to care for him. Now it was starting to become the other way around, and he did not like it.

“I guess you’re right,” said Blaine after a while. “Worrying is silly. Mama will be fine.”

Kurt smiled at him sadly, and after a few tense moments, Allison decided to break the silence by telling them about her day with Aunt Gina. Like usual, she was enough to cheer both of them up and put a smile so big on Blaine’s face that he completely forgot about anything to do with his worry. And when she reminded them of how excited she was to go to Disneyworld, they both realized they were pretty excited to go too. 

…………………………..

Blaine was nervous. Sure, he had flown between New York and Ohio lots of time, but those were short flights. Now they were going to Florida, which seemed ridiculously far away to him. But he wanted to travel. He wanted to do this, to prove to Kurt that he could. Someday, he wanted to take Kurt to Paris like Kurt always dreamed. If he could make it through this trip, then he could convince Kurt he was ready.

He put the last of his clothes that Kurt had set out for him into his suitcase. Both Kurt and Allison had entirely too many bags for a week-long trip, and Blaine had just two modest pieces of luggage. He wondered how on earth two people could need so many clothes when he was able to get by with what he had packed. Shaking his head, Blaine slipped the little bag with his toiletries and medicine into the front pocket, then zipped it up and carried the bags out with the others. 

“Are you going now?” asked Kurt, who was trying to shove one last thing into one of his own suitcases.

“Yeah, I don’t want to, to have to rush. I’ll be back in time for, before it’s time to go,” said Blaine. 

Kurt stood and nodded, then gave him a quick kiss. “Hurry back. Say hi to your parents for me.” 

Blaine gave him a little smile, then headed out the door. He knew the way to his parents’ condo by heart, not even having to think about where he was going as he walked. Blaine sometimes marveled at how easy navigating his life had become. Most days he felt confident and capable, something he never imagined he would feel when he was younger. 

He made his way into his parents’ building and up the elevator to their floor. They were the only condo on this floor, so the elevator doors opened right up to a little entry room between the elevator and the condo doors. Blaine didn’t bother to knock, knowing they were expecting him, and stepped inside. It was quiet, which was unusual. There was always music or the television playing. Jack and Viv were used to such a busy life that silence unsettled them both.

“Dad? Mama?” Blaine asked hesitantly, looking around. 

“Hey, son.” Jack’s voice startled him as he came from the bathroom, holding a wet towel folded up and a thermometer. Blaine’s brow furrowed as he looked at the items. “Her fever was up this morning, but she’s feeling better now. Go on in and say hi.”

Blaine nodded and walked into the bedroom, knocking once on the door before stepping inside. He had never seen his Mama look so small and fragile before. Her whole life until now she had looked younger than her age. She even dyed her hair religiously to get rid of any trace of gray. She was always beautiful in Blaine’s eyes, but today she looked tired, and more like her age. It terrified Blaine.

“Hi, Blainey,” said Viv weakly. She reached up a hand for him and he hurried closer, sitting on the edge of her bed and taking her frail hand in his. 

“Mama, you should go to the doctor,” said Blaine. He leaned down and kissed the back of her hand, then held it in both of his. 

“No way,” she said adamantly. “There’s no way I’m letting some doctor poke and prod me until I die when I have a way better chance of getting better resting in my own bed.”

“You would never let me get away with that.” Blaine looked at her with a little smile. She settled back against the little nest of pillows behind her, just in time for a little coughing spell to hit her. Worried, Blaine shifted so he could hug her close, rubbing her back gently until the coughing subsided.

“You shouldn’t get so close,” said Viv, gently pushing at him, her voice raspy from coughing. “Wouldn’t want you to be sick on your vacation.”

“Mama I won’t catch it,” said Blaine. It wasn’t the flu, even he could tell that. It was something a lot worse, and she was in complete denial. Viv sighed and ruffled her hand through his hair, knowing it would make him smile.

“There we go. Let me see that happy face,” she said. Blaine kept the smile on, even though he didn’t really feel like smiling. “I feel so fortunate to be your mother. You are an incredible man, and you’ve proven to the whole world how wonderful and strong you are. I am so very, _very_ proud of you. And I love you more than anything. Don’t tell Cooper, but you’ve always been my favorite son.”

Blaine smiled and ducked his head. He had always known that, even Cooper told him he was clearly the favorite. He figured it was probably just because of all she had to do to take care of him.

“You’re the best,” said Blaine. “I know I wouldn’t be half good as I am if I, if it weren’t for you. I love you so much, Mama. I hope you get better soon.”

“Don’t you worry, sweetie. You go enjoy Disneyworld with your husband and your perfect little girl. Live your life like the brave man you have always been. When you get home, I’ll be all better, and the two of us can go for lunch in the park.” Viv smiled up at him, then gave his hand as tight of squeeze as she could manage. Blaine kept his own smile up despite the tears that were starting to burn his eyes.

“You promise?” he asked softly.

“I promise,” she said. 

Blaine let himself believe her and leaned forward to give her a kiss on her cheek. She hugged him as tight as she could, then released him. 

“I gotta go,” said Blaine. Viv nodded. “I’ll bring you back something nice.”

Viv smiled her thanks as she settled back lying down, her eyes already drooping tiredly. Blaine stood and paused one more time to tell her he loved her, then he left the room. He gave Jack a tight hug and made him promise to take care of her, which Jack agreed as long as Blaine agreed to have fun on his trip. They parted and Blaine left, heading home to Kurt and Allison so their vacation could begin. He knew in order to have any fun at all, he was going to have to make himself forget about Mama for a while, so he pushed his worry from his mind and focused only on what was to come. 

……………………………

The flight had gone a lot better than Blaine anticipated. They flew first class, relaxed in the big, comfortable seats. Kurt sat by the window and Blaine in the aisle, with Allison across the aisle from them. Ever the little story teller, Allison spent the whole time writing on her tablet. For part of the ride, Blaine watched her with a smile, just happy that his daughter was so smart and talented. For the rest of the trip, Blaine napped in his seat, using Kurt’s shoulder for a pillow.

Once they arrived in Florida, Blaine and Allison held hands as they followed Kurt through the airport. He seemed to know what he was doing a lot better than either of them, so they were content to follow and take in the unfamiliar surroundings. They collected all of their bags from the baggage claim and headed out to catch their transportation to the hotel. Blaine watched all their luggage while Allison danced around _because we’re going to Disneyworld_ , Daddy and Kurt went to the little kiosk to request someone to pick them up. 

Ten minutes later, a sleek black limo pulled up along the sidewalk. Kurt announced that it was their ride, and neither Blaine nor Allison could believe it. Sure, Blaine had ridden in limos with Kurt before on the way to big Broadway award shows and things, but Allison never had. She squealed with excitement as the driver opened the door for them, then hurried inside. Kurt smiled and gestured for Blaine to follow, so he climbed in as well. Kurt stayed out for a moment to make sure all of their bags made it into the limo, then slid in the seat next to Blaine.

“We’re going to Disneyworld. In a _limo_!” Allison squealed again and looked as though she couldn’t possibly handle any more excitement for one day. She started to ramble on and on about all the things that passed by their windows on the way to the hotel, and both Kurt and Blaine watched her with amusement.

After a few minutes, Kurt leaned over to whisper in Blaine’s ear, “How are you holding up?”

“Good,” Blaine answered immediately. So far he didn’t feel too overwhelmed by the change in scenery or massive amount of excessively loud tourists they had encountered thus far. There were a lot of people in New York, but they were different kinds of people and their building was on a street that wasn’t too busy most of the time. Here, there were so many people wearing horrid tropical shirts that Blaine thought it looked like a bunch of flowers puked on everyone.

“Good.” Kurt dipped his head to kiss just under Blaine’s ear, causing a little shudder to rush through him. Blaine leaned closer and let his eyes flutter closed as Kurt’s lips brushed over his skin.

“Ew, Papa, no kissing. That’s icky!” Allison crawled up between them, forcing them to scoot over and make room for her to sit. Kurt chuckled and cast an apologetic look to Blaine, who blushed slightly.

A few more minutes passed before they arrived at their hotel. Allison was in awe of how grand everything was, which Kurt thought was entertaining considering she had grown up in the heart of New York City. There were huge waterfalls at the entrance and huge doors that opened up inside a lobby that was several stories high. Kurt got them all checked in while Blaine helped Allison toss coins into a fountain to make wishes.

Then it was time for them to get settled into their room, following the bellboy who rolled all their luggage on a cart. Once they arrived at their room and their luggage was unloaded, they were able to relax and look around. It was a big room, with a modern kitchenette just inside the door and a decent sized living room area with a plush pull out couch. There were two doors, one to a bedroom with a king sized bed and another to a large bathroom with a walk in shower and a deep, two person Jacuzzi tub. It was luxurious and comfortable for the little time they planned to spend there. 

Kurt laughed softly as Blaine hurried right for the bathroom, then moments later he was coming out the second door that opened into the bedroom and heading right for the bed. 

“Tired?” asked Kurt.

“Yes,” said Blaine. He rolled over onto his back and starfished out in the center of the bed. “Oh man this is comfy.”

Kurt laughed and grinned.

“You wanna stay here and nap? Alli won’t sit still until we explore a little, so I was thinking we could go look around and find someplace to eat. We can just bring you back something.” Kurt walked slowly over to the bed and leaned his knees against it. Blaine propped himself up on his elbows and nodded.

“That sounds good. I trust you to pick for me,” said Blaine. Kurt nodded and blew him a quick kiss. Blaine grabbed at the air with his hand, catching it and holding his fist to his lips. 

“Rest up, I have plans for us to use that Jacuzzi tonight.” Kurt winked and Blaine raised an eyebrow, his mind wandering to what could his plans could be. 

Kurt chuckled softly and patted Blaine’s foot, the closest part of him, then pushed off the bed and headed out, leaving him alone. Blaine stayed awake as he heard Kurt and Allison talking in the other room, then he heard the click of the hotel room door followed by silence. A few short minutes later, he was fast asleep.

………………………….

It didn’t take long for Blaine to decide the Jacuzzi tub was pretty much the best thing he had ever been in. It was deep and the water was hot as the jets pounded against his travel-tired muscles. He sat cross-legged on his side of the tube, letting the jets pound low against his back as he watched Kurt spread out and sink down until just his head and a hand holding a glass of wine were above the water. Blaine reached up and wiggled his fingers at Kurt, and Kurt smiled and handed him the glass.

“You’re not supposed to have wine with your medicine,” said Kurt, letting him have the glass anyway. Blaine sipped it carefully, eyeing Kurt as he did.

“I’m on vacation,” stated Blaine. “I do what I want.”

Kurt shifted in the water and drifted over to him, kissing him hard and solid on the lips. Blaine pushed back into the kiss, smiling against Kurt’s lips. He took another sip of the wine and handed it back. Kurt took the glass and set it outside the tub.

“This trip was the best idea you’ve had in a while,” said Kurt. He slid next to Blaine and tugged him to sit between his legs. Blaine relaxed back against Kurt’s body contently, closing his eyes as he found himself surrounded by Kurt’s arms around him and the warm water.

“I think so too. Alli is so happy. I’m glad we came.” Blaine slid his hands over Kurt’s, tangling their fingers together as he smiled contently. He felt Kurt’s lips on the back of his neck and decided that if this was any indication of how this vacation was going to go, he was definitely going to enjoy himself.

…………………………

They spend the next two days being dragged around the park by their eight year old, trying to keep up with her as she demanded souvenirs and to go to all the rides and attractions. Blaine’s energy was already lagging, but any time he could put a smile on his daughter’s face made it worth it. After stopping on the way back to their hotel for dinner, Kurt knew if they didn’t make it back fast Blaine might collapse.

Even Allison was exhausted, barely making it through her meal without falling asleep in her plate. Kurt managed to drag them both back to their room and get them in their respective beds before they fell asleep right inside the doorway. Kurt was exhausted as well, but he had a bit more stamina than either of them. He quietly went into the bathroom to start up the Jacuzzi tub for him and Blaine, then went back into the bedroom. 

Blaine’s phone beeped from where it sat on the dresser, and Kurt stepped over to check it. He froze when he saw the screen informing him of thirty missed calls, all from Jack and Cooper. Glancing over at Blaine, who was reluctantly pushing himself into a sitting position while yawning exaggeratedly, he clicked on Cooper’s name and pressed the phone to his ear.

Blaine watched curiously as Kurt used his phone. It took him a moment to figure out Kurt was calling Cooper, and barely a second into the conversation, Kurt’s face fell and went ghostly pale. Blaine shifted closer on the bed, all of his tiredness suddenly gone. 

Kurt hung up after talking to Cooper for just a couple of seconds, then looked up at Blaine with wide, watery eyes.

“Kurt?” Blaine scooted closer still, looking at him cautiously.

“We have to go home,” said Kurt, his voice shaking. “It’s…it’s your mom. She’s in the hospital. Cooper said it’s not good.”

Blaine felt his heart clench painfully as he was instantly hit with all the pain and worry he had been bottling up since before they left. His breathing grew rapid and his whole body began to tremble. He barely registered Kurt frantically running around, packing their bags as quickly as he could and waking Allison up.

Kurt was working fast as he got Allison up and explained the situation to her, promising he would make it up to her eventually. Instead of crying like he expected she would, she hopped off her pull out bed and immediately began packing all her things away. Kurt was thankful as he hurried into the bathroom and shut off the nearly full bath tub. He swept all of their toiletries in little baggies and shoved them into the luggage. All that time, Blaine barely moved except for his trembling.

Once everything was ready to go, Kurt called down to the lobby for someone to help with their bags and set up a taxi to meet them in ten minutes. Kurt then kneeled down in front of Blaine, taking both his hands in his.

“Okay, honey, I know you’re really scared right now, but we’ve got to go. You gotta be here with me so that we can make it home. I’m going to try to get you home to see her as fast as I can, but I need you here with me in the moment.” Kurt looked up into Blaine’s eyes, squeezing his hands painfully tight. It took a few moments, but the empty gaze staring back at him began to fill with emotion until Blaine was there, terrified and heartbroken.

Blaine silently nodded and pushed himself up off the bed and followed Kurt out of the room.

The journey back home was painful and exhausting. They were forced to take three separate seats on the only flight back to New York until the next morning, Allison sitting in first class where they figured she was safest, Kurt a few rows behind her in coach, and Blaine all the way in the back row. Kurt was in the aisle seat, constantly turning around in his seat to try and spot Blaine. Twice during the flight he couldn’t stand it and had to go back to check on him, only to find him curled up in his seat as small as he could, crying into his knees. The girl beside him seemed to be kindly comforting him, but Kurt knew it wouldn’t make a difference. Blaine feared the worst, and Kurt had a horrible feeling that he was right to.

They arrived in New York about four hours later, and were met by Santana and Abby, who Kurt had called when they left. It was nearly midnight now and they both looked tired, but not nearly as exhausted as the three travelers. They helped get all the luggage from baggage claim and out to two waiting cabs.

“I’ll take Alli and all your stuff home, and Abby and I will stay with her tonight. Cooper called me about an hour ago. You better get Blaine to the hospital before it’s too late,” said Santana tiredly. She gave both Kurt and Blaine a hug before taking Allison’s hand and leading her to the cab. 

Kurt coaxed Blaine into their cab and got him buckled him as he told the driver which hospital to take them too. It took half an hour, and the whole time Blaine kept crying a steady stream of quiet tears. All he could think about was what his Mama had said to him before he left. How proud of him he she was and how much she loved him. It was almost as if she was saying her last words to him before she…

No. He couldn’t go there. He couldn’t stand to think of it. A pained little sob bubbled up out of his throat and Kurt was instantly there, wrapping his arms around him tightly.

At the hospital, Blaine suddenly got a burst of energy and stability as they hurried inside. They gave their information at the front desk and were given visitor passes before directed to the second floor. They took the elevator, and when the doors slid open, Blaine was all but running down the hallway, half stumbling as he went. He could see Cooper down the hallway, with his back to them as he leaned against the wall. His shoulders were slumped miserably.

“Coop!” Blaine cried out, hurrying to him. Cooper turned around instantly, just in time for Blaine to slam into him, nearly knocking him out with the force of his embrace. Once he was steady again, Blaine pulled back and looked to the door Cooper had been standing by. “Mama?”

Cooper took a deep breath and shook his head.

“I’m sorry, buddy. She’s gone. Ten minutes ago. She tried to wait for you, but she couldn’t hold on. Mom’s d-dead…” said Cooper, his voice catching in his throat as his own tears began again.

Blaine wasn’t crying, though. He just stared up at Cooper, his eyes wide, his brow furrowed, and his lips pulled into a straight line. He was shaking with disbelief, then he stumbled away from Cooper. 

“No. No. Mama…no…” Blaine stumbled toward the closed room, and before anyone could stop him, he was inside. 

Jack was sitting on the edge of the bed, looking down at his wife’s peaceful face. Her eyes were closed and her lips were curled up in the tiniest smile, and all the pain and stress lines seemed to disappear, making her look years younger than she was. Jack looked up upon hearing the commotion, and stood just in time to catch Blaine as he tripped on his own feet. 

“Daddy…please…she can’t…” Blaine cried as he pushed himself out of Jack’s arms and to Viv’s bedside. He grasped for her hand, gasping softly as the warmth she normally exuded was already fading. “Mama please…Mama please don’t go…please, I can’t, I dunno what to do…please…”

“Blaine.” Jack placed his hand on Blaine’s back, rubbing gently. “Blaine, she’s already gone.”

Blaine slid down onto the floor, kneeling beside her bed and pressing his face against the thin mattress, clutching her hand in both of his. He shook, but he seemed to be out of tears. He just stayed there, trying to process what this meant.

She was gone. His Mama was gone. The woman whose face was the first thing he remembered seeing when he woke up from his accident, whose arms held him as he cried through the worst of his headaches in the early days, who encouraged him in every aspect of his relationship with Kurt, who let him go off to New York knowing that it would be the best thing for him. She cared for him and loved him in ways even Kurt had never done, and she was always there for him. 

But now…now she was gone.

He stayed there, letting the pain brewing in his head bubble up and consume him, thoughts of _what am I going to do now_ and _I miss her so much already_ swam through his mind until everything started to drift off into darkness.

…………………………

Later they found out she had a stage four inoperable tumor in her stomach, and at the time they got her to the hospital, all the doctors were able to do was make her comfortable in her final hours of life. She held on for as long as she could, waiting for Blaine, but in the end she had drifted quietly to sleep and died.

Three days later, Kurt stood in the kitchen with his arms wrapped around himself as he watched Blaine at the piano. He’d been playing nearly nonstop since he woke up in their apartment hours after his exhaustion and grief overcame him. Sometimes the music was soft and beautiful, while other times it was fast and full of harsh notes and chords. 

It seemed as though there was no other way for him to express his feelings than letting them flow through his fingers. When he stopped playing, it was only long enough to go to the bathroom or drink something. All he had eaten in three days was a slice of toast and a few crackers, and then he went right back to his piano playing. His face was covered in a scruffy salt-and-pepper beard and he looked pale and exhausted. 

Kurt wasn’t sure how much more of this either of them could take.

He went to the fridge and pulled out the roast beef sandwich he had made an hour ago for Blaine’s lunch, but when Blaine had been unresponsive, Kurt gave up. Now, he decided, he wouldn’t take no for an answer. He took the plate and a glass of peach mango juice to the piano and sat it down in front of Blaine, then scooted onto the bench next to him. Blaine paused in his playing, but didn’t look up.

“Hi,” said Kurt softly, dipping his head down to try to see Blaine’s face. He placed his hand on Blaine’s back and felt him stiffen. “I need you to eat something, sweetheart.” 

“’M not hungry,” murmured Blaine as he began to play again. Kurt snatched Blaine’s wrist in his other hand, tugging it away from the piano keys and holding it up. Blaine’s fingers were noticeably trembling. Blaine gave up and his shoulders slumped.

“I know how upset you are, but you can’t do this to yourself. She wouldn’t have wanted it, you know that as well I as do,” said Kurt. He released Blaine’s arm and reached up for the plate with the sandwich. Blaine eyed it for a moment before they both heard his tummy rumbling desperately. 

Blaine reached for the sandwich and picked it up, slowly eating the first few bites before devouring the entirety of the sandwich and following it with the whole glass of juice. When he was done, he shoved the plate and glass away and immediately placed his fingers back on the piano keys. He played a few notes with Kurt watching before he slowed to a stop.

“Kurt,” Blaine said softly, his voice so small it was barely a whisper. “Kurt, I miss her.”

“Oh honey, I know you do,” said Kurt, rubbing Blaine’s back again. 

“I’ll never see her again. Never, ever see her or, or hear her or anything. My whole life, she was, was always there. She took care of me, encouraged me, believed in me. Now she’s gone. Forever. And…and she just left Daddy like that. What’s he gonna do without her, Kurt? Is that what, what happens when soulmates die? One goes away and the other is, they’re just left alone?” Blaine’s voice began to quiver with tears and he finally looked up at Kurt. His eyes were ringed with dark shadows of exhaustion, but they were still wide and filled with innocence and sadness. 

“Death is a part of life,” said Kurt, trying not to sound cruel, just realistic. “When people get married and stay married for as many years as they did, they know that losing each other is always a possibility. It will be hard for him to adjust, but in time life will start to make sense again and sometimes people find others who have lost their soulmates and spend the rest of their lives with them so they don’t have to be alone. That part usually takes years though, and he’ll never forget your mom. My dad certainly never forgot my mom, even though he’s been married to Carole for twenty-five years.”

Blaine looked down again, still looking miserable.

“I know you miss her, but you can’t shut down. Alli and I need you with us. Think about how proud your mom was of you for all the progress you’ve made. She would want to be the last reason why you go backwards on us,” said Kurt, reaching up to wipe a little tear from Blaine’s eye.

“I just…” Blaine paused to sniffle and wipe his nose on his sleeve. Kurt cringed at the action but let it slide. “I’m just so sad…”

Kurt felt his heart hurting a little as he wrapped his other arm around Blaine tight, hugging him close and feeling him press his face into Kurt’s neck. Kurt had lost people before, and he knew the pain it caused, but it was more difficult for Blaine. Blaine loved people so deeply that it was like physically tearing off a piece of his heart for him to lose his mom. When his head was hurting and he was confused about pretty much everything in his life, his heart knew that he loved her before any other part of him did.

“It’s okay to be sad for a while,” said Kurt, kissing the top of his head gently. “But eventually you’ll feel better. I know it doesn’t seem like it now, but it will happen.”

Blaine nodded a little, then wrapped both his arms tight around Kurt’s middle. He scooted as close as he could possibly get, crying softly against the warm skin of his neck. Kurt tried to fight his own tears as he just held him, letting him cry as much as he needed. 

……………………………...

The funeral was two days later, and it was a very somber occasion. Everyone in the Anderson-Hummel house was silent as they readied themselves. Allison wore a little black dress and sat cross-legged in the middle of Kurt and Blaine’s bed, Kurt sitting behind her brushing and braiding her hair. Blaine was inside the bathroom, the door open so they could see him, dressing his best.

He had finally shaved and let Kurt trim his hair before gelling it back, and he frowned when he looked at himself in the mirror. Kurt paused in braiding Allison’s hair to watch Blaine in the mirror from across the room.

“Everything okay in there?” asked Kurt, looking back down at their daughter’s hair.

“Fine,” said Blaine. “Just nervous. And sad.”

Kurt nodded and finished up Allison’s braid, tying it off and letting her go, telling her to play for a while before they had to go. She nodded sadly and climbed off the bed, then she was about to leave the room when she stopped, turned on her heel, then hurried into the bathroom where Blaine was.

“Daddy?” She looked up at him, reaching up. Blaine looked down, blankly staring at her for a moment before he shook his head once and bent down to pick her up and seating her on the counter. 

“What’s up, buttercup?” Blaine asked, giving her a little smile as he tucked a loose curl behind her ear. Allison giggled softly, then looked back up at him seriously.

“I know you’re sad, but I bet that Gramma would wanna see you smile,” said Allison.

Blaine raised an eyebrow. He appreciated her childhood wisdom, but he seriously doubted he could conjure up a smile at Mama’s funeral.

“She always said I got your smile, and it was her favorite part of you, ‘cept your hugs. Which I totally get. Your hugs are awesome. And you owe me some, because you haven’t hugged me for _days_.” She blinked at him, clearly expecting something. 

Blaine sighed and leaned over, hugging her tight. He felt her little arms wrap around his neck. After a few seconds, he relaxed a little and lifted her up. She hugged back, and then she just patiently let him hold her. When he finally let her go, he set her on her feet and knelt down in front of her. 

“I love you,” said Blaine. He paused, trying to compose himself. “I’ve been, we’ve all been really sad since Gramma…passed away, but I want you to always remember I love you. Surprises happen, just like, like this, all the time. But no matter what, I will always love you.”

Allison nodded, then leaned forward and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

“I know, Daddy. I love you too.”

Blaine smiled hearing those words, the first real, genuine smile since Kurt told him they needed to go home from their vacation early. 

“And I’m sorry that my being sad made, ruined our vacation. Next summer I, we can go somewhere even better, I promise.” Blaine pulled her into another hug, then stood and looked at himself in the mirror. He was pleased with his appearance. He looked put together and handsome, the way Mama would have wanted to see him. It was fitting for a final goodbye.

Taking Allison’s hand, the two of them left the bathroom and met Kurt in the bedroom. He asked if they were ready, and they both nodded. Blaine was as ready as he would ever be. 

The trip to the funeral home was depressing. They sat in silence and there was no way to even attempt to make light of the situation. This was Blaine’s first time out of the apartment since Viv had died, and Kurt was prepared for him to be depressed for a long while after today too. He was thankful that Cooper and Gina had taken it upon themselves to do most of the funeral planning, knowing it would be too hard on Jack. 

When they arrived, they were surprised at the sheer amount of people there. Most of them were family and friends, and Kurt was impressed with how much family Blaine actually had. He hadn’t met a lot of Viv’s side of the family, because she rarely spoke to a lot of them. It had taken many years for Kurt to hear the story of how Viv’s father kicked her out when he found out she was pregnant with Cooper, and how she had no choice but to live with and eventually marry Jack. They were all there, though. Even Blaine didn’t know half their names. 

They waded their way through aunts and uncles and cousins and friends to a small group in the front of the room. Cooper and Jack stood, greeting, hugging, and thanking people for coming. Cooper looked serious – a rarity for him – and Jack looked miserable, like he was trying to hide how devastated he was. When he caught sight of Blaine, it only seemed like more pain filled his eyes.

Blaine hurried over to him, and they collided in an embrace. When they finally broke apart, Jack cupped one hand around Blaine’s cheek, wiping the already falling tears there. 

“You look so much like her, you know?” Jack sniffed and fought back his own sadness. He had learned all his life to bottle it up, but somehow seeing how honest the emotion was on Blaine’s face, it was difficult. 

Blaine nodded against his hand, sniffling as his eyes drifted to the large, blown up picture of him, Cooper, Daddy, and Mama at the front of their room, showing Viv at her happiest. There was a slideshow that had pictures spanning her whole life on a big screen as well, and Blaine thought it was beautiful. 

“Just because she’s gone doesn’t mean I don’t want to see you just as often, buddy. In fact, now you gotta promise to bring Alli and come visit me twice as often, okay?” Jack asked, once Blaine’s eyes drifted back to him. 

With a nod and a tiny smile, Blaine agreed. Jack hugged him one more time before letting him go. 

The service started not long after that, and Blaine sat between Cooper and Jack, with Kurt and Allison a row behind them. The pastor from the church in Ohio where Viv had frequented during Blaine’s youth guided them in a prayer. She hadn’t really been religious in her life, but when she didn’t know where else to turn for answers, the church had at least given her a place to think. 

After he spoke a few words about her, Jack rose to speak. He was determined to do this, to speak about the woman he loved so much. When he got to the front of the room, to the microphone, he looked out at all the people there for Viv. Despite all the sadness, it warmed his heart to see so many people who had loved her too.

“Thank you all for coming,” said Jack, clearing his throat softly. “Vivienne was the kind of person that would spend a whole day going around to each one of you, offering you a hug and asking if you needed anything. She was the kindest person I’ve ever met. I knew that from the moment I laid eyes on her, on the playground in grade school. We were eight years old, and it wasn’t long before she became my very best friend. It was no surprise that before either of us were old enough, we were married with a baby on the way. I can’t imagine a better person to face the challenges we faced with. She took everything in stride and bravely pushed through, and we stuck by each other all the way.

“Then came Blaine. I had never seen anyone look at a baby the way she looked at him. Like holding him was sacred, and in her arms was something so special, so precious. Instantly her life revolved around him. She had always been good with Cooper, being a mom came so naturally to her, but there was something special about what she had with him. It’s like it was all building up to the accident. Then after he came home, it was like they picked up right where they left off. It was beautiful. She was a beautiful woman, inside and out. She was my other half, and now that she’s gone, a part of me is too. I know that sounds like a cliché, but I never realized it could be true until now. It was a true, true blessing to have Vivienne in my life. And now, everything she was, every ounce of goodness in her heart, lives on through Cooper and Blaine, and Blaine’s daughter Allison. Losing Viv has been so hard, our time together was cut short, but I am so thankful to have gotten as many years as I did with the woman I love.”

Jack finished his speech, and he barely made it back to his seat before the tears finally began to flow. Blaine offered him a little pack of tissues and a hug, but he needed the tissues even worse than his Dad. Cooper spoke a few words, followed by some friends of Viv’s that were close to her, and then that part was over and it was time for the viewing. Blaine wasn’t sure he wanted to stay for that, and he certainly didn’t want to stay and talk to a bunch of relatives. 

Before he could escape though, Cooper caught his arm. 

“Hey,” said Cooper. “I know you wanna go, but you should see her.”

He gestured to the open coffin near the front with a line forming. Blaine had avoided looking at or thinking about it since he arrived. He knew what it was, and he wasn’t sure he wanted to even get close to it. But then Cooper was pressing a single rose into his hand, their mom’s favorite flower, and looking at him sincerely.

“I’ve already said goodbye, so did Dad. It will hurt now, but you’ll regret not doing it later,” said Cooper. 

Blaine took a deep breath and nodded, then looked behind him to Kurt and Allison. Kurt urged him to go, so Blaine clutched the flower and made his way up to the front. After waiting behind a few people, Blaine slowly stepped up to the side of the coffin by himself.

She looked so peaceful, lying there. Her hands were folded over her middle and she was wearing her favorite purple dress. Her dark hair framed her face beautifully, and she still looked young like Blaine remembered from his childhood. It seemed as though she was just sleeping, until Blaine reached out to brush his fingertips over her hand and found her skin to be ice cold. He fought back his tears as he moved his hand up to brush over her soft hair.

“I love you, Mama,” he said. “You gave me so much, but I wish you, that you hadn’t left me. I still need you. I know I have Kurt and Coop and Daddy, but you were the first. You’ll always be that, to me. The first. But Coop says I gotta say goodbye now, and then I can go home and be with Kurt and Alli. So, goodbye, I guess. I love you.” 

Blaine sniffed and reached down, tucking the flower under her hands so that it looked like she was holding it. He took one last look at her before stepping away, stumbling a little and right into Kurt’s waiting arms. Crying softly into Kurt’s shoulder, he felt a feeling in his heart, like that wouldn’t really be the last time he saw her. Like she was out there somewhere patiently waiting for him to come back to her, just like she had after the accident. 

She would always wait for him, because she was the first. The first person to hold him, the first person to love him, and the first person to teach him the most important things in life. She was the first to have faith in him, the first to encourage him, and the first to want everything for him. She was the first to dedicate her life to making sure that his was the best it could possibly be. She had been the first, but as he let himself melt into Kurt’s embrace, Blaine knew that she would not be the last, and for that he would forever be thankful.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for sticking through this with me, you guys rock. Happiness in the next chapter, I promise!


	17. Kurt and Blaine Raise a Teenager

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Allison's teenage years bring up some challenges for Blaine, but everyone learns some important lessons along the way.

Blaine discovered shortly after Allison’s fourteenth birthday that there are good and bad things to raising a teenager. The first good thing was the free time. There was so much more free time now that Allison had friends she wanted to hang out with more than her dads. Of course Blaine missed her but _free time_. Free time meant going straight from work at the foundation office to watching Kurt rehearse for his latest Broadway play. Free time meant dates just the two of them, being romantic over a candlelit dinner.

But most of all, free time meant sex. And lots of it.

Sure, they had kept up a healthy and active love life since bringing Allison into their little family. Once a week had been enough as they got older and more things occupied their minds than just how awesome it was to roll around naked together and have orgasms. But now, Allison would often hang out with friends after school or go to the movies or spend the night at friends’ houses, giving them plenty of time to explore things that hadn’t been explored in years. 

They were still a close family, but Allison had her freedom to a point and Blaine was getting laid a lot more often. It was pretty damn awesome, if you asked him. It sort of made _him_ feel like a teenager. 

But there was also the bad, and even a revamped sex life couldn’t distract Blaine from the realization that his perfect, sweet, adorable little girl was becoming a young woman. Up until she was about twelve, he knew exactly what to do with her. But then things started changing. Things he didn’t understand. After several “girl talks” with Santana, shopping trips now included things like bras and…and girl stuff. 

It had never occurred to Blaine it might be difficult to raise a daughter having no idea what it would be like to be a girl. Sure, he spent years living with Rachel and Santana, but he managed to stay blissfully ignorant about female differences. Unfortunately, Santana realized that and decided to educate him. He could have done just fine without that.

So he let Kurt deal with a lot of that stuff, and Allison continued to grow up. After another visit with Santana, she started wearing makeup. Blaine wasn’t sure what to think about that, either. Once it started, though, he wasn’t sure how to stop it. He had to face it, his little girl was growing up.

The worst thing of all, though, was that Blaine didn’t know how to relate to a teenage girl. It had been easier when she was a kid. He knew about kids, how to deal with kids, how kids thought and acted. She was so much like him when she was a kid, not to say he thought he acted like a kid, he just understood kids. Now she was becoming her own grown up person, and Blaine felt a little lost. 

She was smart, mature, beautiful, and popular among her peers for good reasons. She was freshman class president at the private high school they sent her to, and she had a lot of good friends. Blaine was worried that she would outgrow him, that it wouldn’t be long before she became smarter than him and looked down on him. How could he possibly be a decent father figure to her if she could navigate life better than he could?

He was so proud of her for becoming the wonderful young woman she was, but every step forward she took, he worried that she was leaving him behind. Of course, he kept his worries hidden and kept on going through every day, pretending like he actually knew what to do with the moody, constantly changing teenager he shared an apartment with. 

Kurt loved it, though. He loved that she was older and that they could talk about fashion and boys and pop culture. She was into singing and theater like him, and she loved being able to brag to all her friends that Broadway star Kurt Hummel was her Papa. Seeing their relationship blossom as she aged made Blaine happy on some level. Kurt had always felt like she was closer to Blaine because she was so obviously his daughter. But now, she was closer to Kurt, and on the days Allison was home, Blaine was beginning to feel like the third wheel.

Besides, what was impressive to a teenager about anything Blaine had accomplished? She was going to graduate high school in four years, which Blaine hadn’t even been able to do until he was thirty. Sure, he had the charity, which had grown over the years to a foundation that brought in millions of dollars annually to help victims of brain injury all over the country. But even when Allison had to do community service for school, she chose to go to a community theater with Kurt to give acting lessons to little kids instead of help Blaine at the foundation office. 

Sometimes he just missed having his little girl around, and whenever his sadness became apparent, instead of talking about it, Kurt tried to distract him with something sexual. And it would take a man with a lot stronger willpower than Blaine to turn down that. 

…………………………….

Every Wednesday Blaine met Rachel and Santana for lunch. They always ate at the same little café down the street from the foundation office. It was the only place that had a menu acceptable to all three of them. One week, Blaine was running a little late, and by the time he arrived both Santana and Rachel had already ordered drinks and were chatting about the thing they always chatted about: their kids.

All three of their kids attended the same private high school, which had a strong arts curriculum that had been a must for all of them. Abby was eighteen and a senior, while Finn was sixteen and a junior. These weekly lunches had been started by Blaine when he realized he could learn something from their experiences raising teens a few years older than Allison. 

“Hey, nugget, nice of you to finally join us,” said Santana, grinning as she used the nickname she had given him in high school. He still didn’t mind it. 

“Sorry. I got held up with some, with plans for this year’s benefit. Even after all this time, it’s still hard to get, to have these damn rich socialites commit to one night,” said Blaine. He climbed up into his chair at their usual tall corner table by the window. “I had to talk to some myself. I hate that part.”

“I thought you had hired help for that?” asked Rachel, taking a sip of her peach daiquiri. 

“I do, but sometimes they have to hear my, a bit of my own personal charm.” Blaine grinned and winked as he sipped the water they had gotten for him.

“Awww, our little shy nugget has finally come out of his shell. This is a midlife change I approve of,” said Santana, reaching over to pinch Blaine’s cheek affectionately. Blaine ducked and batted her hand way. 

“Oh hush,” he said. The girls laughed, then Rachel leaned forward with her arms on the table.

“So. Have you made any headway in understanding the mind of a teenage girl?” she asked.

“Rachel, I can’t even understand my own mind sometimes. How am, how do I even start with hers?” Blaine looked at her, one thick eyebrow raised. “Basically all I’ve got so far is that violent mood swings are frequent, and soon I’ll have to, I’ll be worry about her dating.”

He cringed at the thought of Allison out with boys. He knew from experience what teenage boys were like, he had been one.

“Don’t be like that, Blainey. You guys said no dating until sixteen, right? Just hold on to that rule and it will be okay. I mean, teenagers need rules, but you have to be realistic. You and Kurt were sharing a bed most nights when you were sixteen. Santana had already slept with half the guys in school by that age. You can only hope she has as much self-respect as I did and that she holds out for the right guy,” said Rachel. 

Blaine stared at her with wide eyes and a pronounced frown. His and Kurt’s situation was completely different, he reasoned, and he really hoped that Allison was not going to do what Santana had done. He understood that Santana had done it out of confusion and self-loathing for her true feelings, but he never wanted his daughter to feel like that.

“I don’t want to talk about my daughter having sex,” said Blaine finally. 

He suddenly remembered when he was young and his dad had sat him down to give him “the talk”, and he had a whole new respect for the man now. It must have been hard to talk to his kid about that stuff knowing that Blaine was probably going to go out and do it. 

“I can see those gears turning in your head,” said Santana, pulling him out of his thoughts. 

“Don’t worry about it. Just teach her to have respect for herself, and make sure she has the highest standards. You should set an example for her. Take her out on a daddy-daughter date, and really go all out to make it authentic. Set the standard for any future dates with boys,” Rachel suggested. 

Blaine considered it for a moment, then nodded. 

“Rachel, you are a genius.”

……………………………..

Blaine stood in front of the full length mirror, adjusting his jacket and dark blue bowtie. He was dressed up in a nice suit with his hair gelled back. He was ready to go on a date, but not with his handsome husband, who currently sat on the bed behind him wearing a pair of soft sweatpants and a wide neck sweater. Kurt smiled at him when he caught him looking through the mirror.

“You look handsome. Should I be jealous?” Kurt pushed off the bed and walked over to him, wrapping his arms around him from behind.

“Maybe,” said Blaine. “My date is very beautiful.”

“Well, just as long as mine are the last lips you kiss tonight, then I guess I can let you go.” Kurt smiled and kissed the back of his neck, then patted his tummy lightly before pulling away. 

“I love you most,” said Blaine, turning around and catching Kurt in time to give him a quick kiss on the lips. Kurt returned the kiss, then urged Blaine to go. Before Blaine made it to the door though, Kurt called his name. Blaine turned back to him, paused at the door. 

“Don’t forget the flowers.” Kurt pointed to a bouquet of lilies on the nightstand. 

“Oh. Right.” Blaine hurried over to grab the flowers, then waved goodbye to Kurt before hurrying out of the room and then out of the apartment. As he stood in the hallway of their floor, he took a deep breath before turning back around and knocking on the door he had just closed behind him. He actually felt nervous, which he knew was silly, but this was his first time taking someone on a real formal date. 

He and Kurt had gone on a lot of dates in the beginning, but they were so close before they became boyfriends that there was no need for any awkward moments with either of them showing up at each other’s doors. After another knock, the door clicked open and Kurt appeared there, looking at him like he barely knew him. Blaine was caught off guard for a brief moment before he remembered that it was pretend and that Kurt’s job was to be a really good actor.

“Hello?” asked Kurt, a little impatiently.

“Hello, Mr. Anderson-Hummel. I’m here to take your daughter out on a date,” said Blaine, smiling confidently. Kurt raised an eyebrow and looked him up and down.

“Hmm. You look a little old to be taking her out, don’t you think?” Kurt smiled as he said it, but Blaine pouted.

“Papa, don’t be so overprotective.” Allison’s voice came from behind Kurt. He stepped back and the door opened all the way, and Blaine could finally see her. She was dressed in a tight red dress that came down to mid-thigh. Her hair had been straightened, but was already pulling back into loose, wavy curls at the end. She looked beautiful and more mature than her fourteen years.

On one hand, Blaine was in awe of this beautiful young woman that was his daughter. On the other hand, he hoped he was the only guy she was dressing like this for.

“Hi Daddy,” said Allison, smiling at him happily. 

“You are the most beautiful girl I’ve ever see,” said Blaine, taking her hand and lifting it, pressing his lips to the back of it. She giggled softly, then he let it go and offered her the flowers. “I got you lilies. Your favorite.”

Allison smiled and hugged them close. “They’re lovely. Thank you.” She handed them to Kurt, because she didn’t really want to have to carry them around on the date, but she was definitely impressed.

“We’d better get going. Our reservations are in half an hour,” said Blaine, offering her an arm.

“Bye, Papa!” Allison slipped her arm through Blaine’s sticking close to him. 

“I’ll have her home before midnight, sir, I promise,” said Blaine, still pretending. He flashed Kurt a smile before waving goodbye. Kurt told them to have fun before closing the door behind them. 

Blaine led them to the elevator and the button. The door opened seconds later, and he gestured for Allison to step in first. She looked shyly happy as he stepped in beside her. It may have just been a date with her dad, but this was still technically her first date. 

“You look beautiful,” said Blaine. “So grown up. Guess you’re not Daddy’s little girl anymore, huh?”

Allison smiled at him and reached for his hand, giving it a squeeze as the elevator door opened to the building lobby.

“I’ll always be your little girl, Daddy, no matter how grown up I am.” 

Blaine grinned proudly, feeling his heart swell at her words. It was like all his fears of losing her as she grew up had faded. 

They left the building and caught a cab to the restaurant. Allison talked the whole ride, telling him about the drama club she was part of at school. She and a bunch of other kids were talking about putting on an improv show for their classmates, they just had to get permission from the principle to put it on during the school day. Blaine loved hearing about all she was doing and all the friends she had. 

Once the arrived at the restaurant, they were seated and given their menus. They received a weird look at first from the waitress, appearing as an older man on a date with a much younger woman, but Blaine quickly explained he was her father. He didn’t understand how the woman didn’t know it right away, considering how much they looked alike.

“I can’t believe she thought you were my boyfriend,” said Allison, giggling softly as she opened her menu. 

“Must have been my good, youthful good looks,” said Blaine, chuckling as well. 

They fell into a comfortable silence as they scanned the menus. Once they both decided and the waitress came back and took their orders, they found they had nothing to do but talk while they waited. Allison seemed to have run out of words for a moment, swirling her straw around in her iced tea. Blaine watched her, unsure of what to talk about. He wasn’t sure if she cared about anything he was involved in.

“So…” Allison looked up. “How are things at work? Any cool rich people coming to the benefit this year?”

Blaine was in the middle of taking a drink of water when she spoke, swallowed quickly in surprise. 

“I, it’s going good. Mariana Blake is coming this year. She’s looking to donate big. And in, next month I’m going to visit some, with some families who we helped,” said Blaine. Allison leaned forward, genuinely listening. 

“That’s amazing, Daddy. I can’t wait.” Allison smiled, then glanced down at the table, where she was drawing little circles on the table with her fingers. “I was wondering if maybe I could perform at the benefit this year.”

She chanced a look up at him, not quite tilting her head up but just enough for him to see her hazel eyes. He blinked at her, both eyebrows raised. Blaine knew she was an amazing singer, he had spent her whole life watching her in school plays and talent shows, but he never considered having her perform at the benefits. 

“I think, maybe, I think that would be wonderful,” said Blaine, smiling at how her face lit up instantly. “Santana and I can rearrange the schedule. We can fit in some time for you to sing a few songs, we can, it will be great!”

“Oh, Daddy, thank you!” Allison squealed happily, getting up from her chair and bumping the table in her haste to give him a hug. Blaine saved his glass of water, then laughed as he hugged her back. She quickly sat back down, her cheeks blushing a light red. “This is perfect. I’ll be performing in front of people who have launched the careers of so many popular singers. Maybe someone will notice me.”

Blaine was kind of surprised to hear that. He knew she loved to sing, and performing came as naturally to her as it did to Kurt. But he didn’t know she seriously considered a career in it.

“You’re amazing,” said Blaine. “I didn’t know you want to be a singer. You never, you should have said something sooner. Papa and I could help.”

“No offense, Daddy, but I want to be famous for my own talent. I don’t want to be known as Kurt Hummel’s daughter my whole life. He’s offered to use his connections for me before, and I told him I want to find my own way,” said Allison adamantly. “I want you to let me sing at the benefit because I’m good, not because I’m your daughter.”

“I’ve never heard a better singer in my life,” said Blaine sincerely. “I want you to be in the benefit because I think everyone will love you. It’ll be great.”

Allison let out a little relieved sigh, then offered him a smile. 

Soon, their food came and they both ate, the silence occasionally broken up by Allison telling him about a song she was writing or what she was reading for English class. He listened intently, absorbing every detail about her life, genuinely interested. By the time their meal was done, Blaine felt he was sufficiently caught up on everything that was going on in her life, and it was the best feeling he’d had in a while.

After he paid for the meal, the two of them left the restaurant and went for a little walk down the block until they got to a modest sized park. They followed the paths for a while before they came upon an empty swing set. Allison toed off her high heels and ran over to the swings, grinning as she climbed onto one and immediately kicked off the ground. Blaine smiled and followed her, sitting in the other swing and just watching her for a while. For a while, she was his little girl again, not the teenage girl becoming a young woman.

When she tired of swinging high and fast, she let it slow down until she was just lightly swaying beside him.

“Hey Daddy?” she asked.

“Yeah?”

“Why did you want to take me out tonight?”

She stuck her foot out on the ground to stop her movements all together and twisted to face him. He shrugged a little and looked down at his foot scuffing against the sand lightly.

“I wanted, I guess I just wanted to spend some time. With you. It’s like. You’re growing up. We were so close when you were little. Now you’re not little and we don’t do things together,” Blaine admitted softly. “I don’t know what to do now that you’re older. With you, I mean. You’re going to be doing adult stuff soon, and I, it confuses me. When I was fourteen independence wasn’t even part of the conversation.”

“You don’t know how to be a dad to a teenager because you never really got to be one,” said Allison, her voice full of understanding. 

Blaine nodded, thankful that she still understood him as well as she had as a kid.

“I just want you to know that, know you matter. Growing up is hard. Maybe I wasn’t normal, and I, my teenage years weren’t normal, but I learned a lot about people. I learned you can trust some and others just want, they just want to hurt you. It’s up to you to remember that you _matter_. Your mind and your body, they’re not things to be used or, or taken for granted. They’re precious. Do you understand that?” Blaine finally looked up at her, looking into her eyes.

“I do,” said Allison. “Thank you. Everyone knows deep down their parents care, but I’ll never forget this. I’ll try not to make you worry, though. I don’t care about parties or drinking or whatever. I know the consequences of being irresponsible. I can’t promise to be perfect, I’m still a kid, but whenever I get stuck, I’ll always remember this.”

Blaine blinked with the effort to hold back the tears welling up in his eyes. They were happy tears. He was so happy and relieved to have her for his daughter. She understood that when he spoke, he was saying more than what he could get out in words. He just hoped it would always be like that.

“I love you,” said Blaine.

“I love you too.” Allison stood and walked the two steps between them, then wrapped her arms around his shoulders and hugged him tight. She stayed hugging him for a few minutes, then as she pulled away, she kissed his cheek lightly. He smiled and took her hand.

“C’mon. It’s getting late. Let’s head home.”

She agreed and collected her shoes, then the two of them headed home, feeling closer to each other than ever.

…………………………..

For the next year and a half, Blaine was pretty much the main man in Allison’s life. She still spent a fair amount of time with her friends and with Kurt, but she made time to make Blaine feel special. She knew he didn’t know how to ask for her time, so she offered it to him, giving him a glimpse into her teenage world.

At least it was like that until she got a boyfriend.

Two weeks after her sixteenth birthday – on which she was officially allowed to go on dates – she announced she was going to the movies with some guy named Oliver. After that, it was Oliver this, and Oliver that. He was all she would talk about, at least when she was home. Which seemed to be rarely. 

She was still intent on becoming a singer, but she suddenly decided that she could always do it later. She could only be a teenager now. Blaine was a little disappointed hearing this. She had so much potential and people were willing to help her, but ultimately it was her life and he supported her no matter what. 

After a couple months of her dating this Oliver guy, Blaine managed to corner her and request that she bring him over for dinner one night. He wanted to meet the boy she was spending so much time with. She promised him she would bring him in a few days, but he never heard anything about it ever again. Not that he pressed the issue. His yearly charity benefit was a week away and he could only worry about so much at once.

The night before the benefit, Blaine came home late from the office. He was exhausted and starving, expecting to come home to warm leftovers from dinner and a hot bath. Instead, he entered the apartment to yelling. He cringed as soon as he heard the voices of his husband and daughter, going at it in an epic battle of parent versus teenager. Blaine had never gotten over his aversion to angry shouting, but it no longer caused him to run and hide. He took a deep breath and slowly entered the apartment, pausing in the entryway to listen to the fight.

“You _will_ go to this benefit! You know how important it is!” Kurt shouted.

“I go _every year_! What’s the big deal if I miss one? This is concert once in a lifetime chance!” Allison yelled back.

“The _big deal_ is that your dad works hard to put these on to help people, and it’s your job as part of this family to support him!” 

“What about what I want? What about what’s important to me? It’s not fair! I’m sixteen years old now!” 

“Exactly. Two years from being an adult. Which means you still live under my roof and do what I say. We give you a lot of freedom, we let you make your own choices most of the time, but this is one night where you don’t have a choice. You are _going_.” Kurt said it like it was final, but somehow Blaine knew Allison wouldn’t let him have the final word. She was about to protest when Blaine stepped into the hallway where they were fighting.

“It’s fine,” said Blaine, interrupting their argument. The both froze and turned to look at him, surprised that he was there. “It’s fine. She can go to the concert. We can’t force her to come with us.” 

“Yes we can…” Kurt trailed off as Blaine stepped closer and he could really see how exhausted he was. 

“No. No one is forcing anyone.” Blaine sighed and looked at Allison. He couldn’t hide the sadness in his eyes. He always looked forward to having her at the benefits with him. It had been an annual tradition for over a decade and having both her and Kurt with him always made it more enjoyable. But he didn’t want to make her, especially if she would just be unhappy all night.

“Are you sure?” Allison asked, looking a little less positive than she should have, considering he had just told her what she wanted to hear.

“Yeah. Have fun. Be safe. Make sure you’re home when we get home,” said Blaine. He looked up at Kurt, who was a little shocked to have Blaine go against him. “I’m gonna have a bath now.”

He pushed past the two of them and headed into the bathroom, closing the door and locking it behind him. He just wanted to make his daughter happy, even if it meant not having her with him on an important occasion. There would be a lot more benefits in the future, missing one shouldn’t matter so much. 

Except, Blaine realized as he filled the bathtub with water, it did kind of matter. But he wouldn’t say anything. He had already told her she didn’t have to go.

Once the tub was full, he turned the water off and began to unbutton his shirt, his fingers barely cooperating as he fumbled with the buttons. His head was starting to hurt a little, in a way it hadn’t in a while. He took a deep breath. Maybe he was just making this a bigger deal than it was. 

A knock on the door startled him and he paused in undressing and looked up. The door handle jiggled a little, but Blaine still didn’t get up.

“Blaine, let me in. Please.” Kurt’s voice was muffled through the wood. Blaine sighed and shrugged off his shirt, then stepped over to unlock and open the door. Kurt looked at him, concerned. “Are you okay? I was worried. You looked like you might be heading for an episode or something.”

“I’m fine,” said Blaine. “Just tired. I need to rest.”

“Okay.” Kurt nodded, his eyes glancing downward. “Want me to join you?”

Blaine considered it for a moment, then gave a little shrug and opened the door enough to let Kurt in. Kurt entered and nudged the door shut. He reached out to Blaine, sliding his hand across his bare chest, causing him to shudder as his eyes drifted closed.

“Let me take care of you?” Kurt asked softly, his hand sliding to rest over Blaine’s heart.

Blaine nodded, one corner of his mouth tugging up in a little smile. “Always.”

…………………………..

Allison was all dressed up and ready to go, just waiting for Oliver to come pick her up. She leaned closer to the mirror above her dresser and obsessively tried to get her curls to behave. Usually she straightened them when she was going out, but Oliver recently said how much he liked them, so she decided to let her hair go natural. She took a deep breath as she heard the chime of the doorbell throughout the apartment. 

Knowing that no matter how fast she tried to get to the door, Papa would beat her there, she took her time. Giving herself one last quick check in the mirror, she smoothed down the front of her dress and tucked her phone in her purse. She could hear voices from down the hall and she smiled as her heart skipped. Oliver was here, and he was early. Could he be more perfect?

She left her room and made her way to the source of the voices, finding Oliver and Kurt talking. Kurt was giving him a disapproving look, while Oliver’s handsome face was twisted into a cocky, confident expression.

“Despite what he tells you, Papa doesn’t _really_ own a shot gun.” Allison smiled as she stepped over to her boyfriend, giving him a quick hug. 

“Not that you know of anyway,” said Kurt, glaring at Oliver. Allison gave him a _Papa, be nice_ glare back, but his look didn’t fade. Not until he heard a thud and a muffled curse coming from the other room. He was about to leave them to go help Blaine, who was obviously having trouble, when Blaine made it into the entryway.

“Sorry, I was, I couldn’t get this bowtie right and I ran into the wall,” said Blaine, blushing with embarrassment. Allison laughed softly and stepped over to him, reaching up to fix the slightly askew bowtie. 

“You look good, Daddy,” said Allison, kissing his cheek. Taking his arm, she turned to Oliver. “Daddy, this is Oliver. My boyfriend.”

Blaine stood up straight, putting on his serious face. He held out a hand, which Oliver shook.

“Hello, sir,” said Oliver politely. Blaine looked at him with an odd expression that Allison wasn’t sure if it was good or bad. She put on a smile anyway and made sure she was in the middle of them. 

“Oliver and I are going to dinner before the concert. I promise I’ll be home before you get back from the benefit.” She gave both her dads a kiss on the cheek before taking Oliver’s hand and leaving. They both told her to have fun and be safe, and she smiled a little as Blaine tripped up on his words. Once they were out of the building, she felt a little freer, and she focused on having an amazing time with her boyfriend.

Unfortunately, she didn’t even make it to the concert before things went south. 

She was sitting across from Oliver at the Italian restaurant he had picked, and she quietly ate her salad while he rambled on and on about something she didn’t really care about in between stuffing his face with forkfuls of pasta and entire whole breadsticks. She didn’t really mind listening to him talk though, until he started on the one thing that she would not tolerate.

“So how’d you get your dads to let you get out of going with them tonight?” asked Oliver, his mouth half full of food.

“Papa said no, and we had a fight about it. But then Daddy came home and he said I could go. I was not expecting it,” said Allison. “I know the benefit means a lot to him, but I guess seeing me happy does too.”

“Awww. So he’s not as dumb as he seems, then, I take it?” Oliver commented in between bites. Allison froze, her brow furrowed. She looked at him to see if he was really serious, and he didn’t seem to realize what he had just said or how bad it sounded.

“Are you serious?”

Oliver looked at her and shrugged. “What? He’s nice and he’s your dad, but I get the impression he’s not all there all the time.”

“Are you fucking kidding me?” Allison raised her voice angrily, unable to help it. “Are you really that ignorant? He has brain damage! Why do you think he runs a charity for brain damaged people? Oh, right, you have to be able to think to figure that one out. Something you’re clearly incapable of doing!”

She stood up quickly, her chair scraping on the floor as she grabbed her glass of water and threw it at him. It was the only thing that kept her from slapping him.

“What the hell?” Oliver yelled.

“And for the record, my dad is the smartest man I have ever known. Smarter than you will _ever_ be, because he would never say something so stupid and insensitive. I can’t believe I let him down to go out with _you_.” Breathing heavy with rage, she turned on her heel and fled the restaurant, ignoring his calls after her. 

No matter how much she liked a boy, she would never go out with someone who could say something like that about anyone, let alone her dad. The world she grew up in was filled with patience and tolerance for all kinds of people, and she thought society was developed enough socially that everyone thought the same way as her. Tonight had proven her wrong, though. There were still people out there who could make comments like that and think it was okay. She would not waste her time on someone like that. 

Once she was far enough from the restaurant that she didn’t have to worry about Oliver chasing her, she stopped and leaned against the side of a building, trying to compose herself. She pulled out her phone and scrolled to Papa’s number on her recent calls list. Her thumb hovered over it, but then she realized he would already be at the benefit now. 

She looked down at her outfit. She wasn’t dressed up like she normally would be for an occasion like this, but she looked nice enough. Taking a deep breath, she stepped toward the street and hailed a cab, then told the driver where to take her. Glancing at her phone, she knew it would take at least half an hour to get there. She would miss the start of the charity dinner, she hoped her dads would be too happy to see her there to care. 

When they arrived, she paid the driver and got out. She could hear music inside the building, but the doors were closed and it looked like all of the guests had already arrived. Hurrying up the steps, she went to open the doors, but they were locked from the outside.

“Stupid, paranoid rich people,” she mumbled, trying both doors before resorting to banging on them, hoping someone would hear her. It didn’t take long before the door opened, and she let out a sigh of relief to see it was Finn.

“Well, well. I didn’t see your name on the guest list,” he said cheekily. 

“Shut up and let me in,” she snapped, pushing her way through the door.

“I thought you and loverboy were going to the ‘concert of the century’ tonight,” said Finn, smirking as he took in her less than formal appearance.

“We were. Until he made an asshole comment about Daddy. Then I realized where I belong tonight,” said Allison. Finn laughed and offered to escort her inside, which she accepted, taking his arm. As they entered the grand room with a stage at the other end and dozens of tables in between, she smiled as she saw both her dads up on the stage, giving a speech about what and who the foundation benefitted, and thanking everyone for their donations. 

Allison and Finn tried to enter without getting noticed, but he insisted on leading her up to the front table, and the commotion he caused asking for another chair to be brought up caused Kurt to fall quiet in his speech. All eyes turned to the two teenagers awkwardly shuffling an extra chair toward the front table. 

“Kurt, Kurt look.” Blaine’s voice could be heard just behind the microphone, and Allison looked up to see Daddy watching her, his whole face lit up with more joy than she had ever seen. She knew she had let him down, and now seeing her here seemed to make up for it tenfold, by the look on his face. 

Allison smiled and gave a little wave to the people around her before smoothing down her dress and walking around to the side of the stage, then up the couple of steps and across the stage. She stood before Kurt and Blaine, and for a moment the three of them seemed to forget the crowd of rich New Yorkers watching them.

“You came,” said Kurt, his expression neutral.

“I wouldn’t miss it for the world,” she said, offering them both an apologetic smile. Blaine surged forward and wrapped her up in a tight hug, so tight she could hardly breathe, but she didn’t mind holding her breath. A few people in the front started up a slow applause, she suspected it was the rest of their family, and soon the room was filled with it. 

Blaine pulled back, smiling all the way up to his eyes. 

“Thank you so much,” he said, his voice quivering with emotion.

“Don’t,” she said. She took his hand and squeezed it, then took her place beside him as she had every year since the charity benefits began. “This is where I belong.”

And it was true. Someday she would find a boyfriend who was worth her time, one who wouldn’t keep her from her family. The concert would have been fun, but knowing she put that silly, proud, joyful smile on her Daddy’s face filled her with a kind of happiness she never felt with anyone but the people who really mattered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to all who are sticking with this story, you guys are amazing. I tried to make this chapter a little lighter, and the next will be as well. Allison always loves her daddy most, and for that she makes me happy. I hope the same happened for you.


	18. Allison Graduates High School

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Allison's high school graduation comes around and Blaine starts to feel the empty nest blues, at least until Allison gives him a little unexpected surprise.

_June 2, 2045_

A small miracle happened in the form of everyone surviving Allison’s teenage years. Now she was graduating high school in exactly one week, set to follow in her Papa’s footsteps and start at NYADA in the fall – which of course had nothing to do with the fact that he was teaching there again and constantly bragged about how talented his daughter was. Even worse, though, was that she was already set to move into an apartment near the school with some of her friends by the end of the summer. She had matured into a wonderful adult, and Blaine was absolutely devastated.

He missed that beautiful little baby girl in his arms, innocent and completely dependent on him. The memories of lying in bed, watching television with her tiny sleeping form spread out on his chest were some of the clearest memories of his whole life. When he decided he wanted a baby of his very own, he hadn’t realized that in just eighteen unfairly short years she would be all grown up and leaving him. 

While she was busy finishing up her final tests and planning post-graduation parties with her friends, Blaine was unhappily sitting around the apartment pouting. At first he had loved the free time her growing up gave him, but now realizing that once again, in a few short months it would be only him and Kurt in their big apartment, he wasn’t sure how much he cared about free time. Most parents couldn’t wait for their kids to move out and get on with their lives, but Blaine wished Allison could have just stayed little forever.

After a few days of his pouting, Kurt forced him to come with him to NYADA and help him with his classes. Blaine seriously doubted how much help Kurt actually needed, but nevertheless he allowed Kurt to drag him to the college every day. Thankfully, watching Kurt teach acting classes proved to be a good distraction in the daytime hours. 

Even at fifty, Kurt was just as elegant and handsome as ever, and Blaine found himself mesmerized by watching his every movement and listening to his every word. As long as Blaine had known Kurt, he was always captivated by how Kurt held his attention so well. He never seemed to tire of letting himself drift off into a different world, one where everything was Kurt and nothing else mattered. 

Before Allison was born, it often felt like Kurt really was all that mattered. Kurt was his lover, his boyfriend, his best friend, and his caregiver. Now all of those labels still applied, except boyfriend was changed to husband and it had been many years ago that he reached a desirable level of independence. But Kurt was much more than that to him now. Kurt was the foundation on which he had built his life. He could hardly remember a time before Kurt had come to him. With Kurt holding him steady, he had become the man he was now. 

But everything Kurt had given him wasn’t enough to prepare him for having Allison grow up and move away. Not one of the thirty-four years where Kurt had been by his side had given him the tools to understand why this had to happen. And eventually, as graduation day drew nearer, Kurt’s attempts at distraction slowly stopped working. Kurt assured him that he was just suffering from a little premature empty nest syndrome, and that he would get over it eventually.

Blaine had a hard time believing that.

……………………………

It was Monday of graduation week and Blaine blankly staring at some new afternoon game show when the door to the apartment clicked open. It was too early to be Kurt, so it had to be Allison. Blaine shifted on the couch to watch her come in, a big smile on her face.

“You’re home,” said Blaine, stating the obvious.

“Mmhmm,” hummed Allison. She had her tablet in her hands as she walked over to the couch to sit beside him. “Did you check the mail yet?” 

“Nope, go ahead,” said Blaine, motioning to his own tablet on the coffee table. 

“I really think _you_ should check it, Daddy. There might be something special there for you.” She turned off her device and set it aside, facing him with a smile that looked a little too like Santana’s mischievous smirk.

Blaine eyed her warily, then picked up the tablet and opened up his mail. He scrolled past a couple of bills for Kurt and found a letter from Allison’s school, but instead of addressed to “the Parent/Guardian of Allison Anderson-Hummel”, it was addressed directly to him. He tapped on the message to open it, then read through it carefully.

“No…is this real?” he asked, looking up at her. He felt his heart thud in his chest as he slowly comprehended what the message meant. Allison was smiling at him now, gentle and encouraging.

“Of course it is, Daddy,” she said, reaching forward and putting her hand on his forearm, giving it a gentle squeeze.

“I can’t…I can’t accept this. This is your graduation day. You worked hard for this. It’s your special day, I don’t wanna make it about me.” He glanced down at the letter one more time, feeling the tempting pull of the offer presented to him.

“This was my idea,” said Allison. She scooted a little close to him. “All my life, and even before that, you’ve been trying to take back what your accident took from you. You never got to graduate high school. Sure, you got your GED and you’re so smart, but you didn’t get to walk with your class or get your diploma or wear a cap and gown. They’re offering you an honorary diploma and the chance to have a real graduation.”

Blaine looked at her, not sure what to think. He was touched and genuinely exciting about the idea, but this was his daughter’s special day. Everything was always about him. He didn’t want to make this about him as well. 

“I just…thank you but, I don’t, I can’t. You earned this. I’m just supposed to sit and, sit with your Papa and cheer for you when they call your name and be so, _so_ proud of my smart, grown up daughter.” Blaine clicked the tablet of and set it aside, then took her hand in his.

“Daddy. I want you to do this. I want you with me. I want to walk beside you into the auditorium, I want to sit by you while we suffer through boring speeches. I want to share this moment with you. There is no one in my life more important to me than you, and I want you to have this.” She looked at him so sincerely, and Blaine had to turn away. He couldn’t look at her while he was thinking. After a few seconds, Allison stood and hurried out of the room.

Blaine looked after her, wondering if he had down something wrong. He was about to speak up and tell her okay he would do it if she would just come back, but she returned after a few moments with her school bag. Smiling, she opened it up and pulled out a plastic wrapped purple cap and gown set. Blaine looked at it curiously. Allison already had hers, it was hanging in her room.

“It’s your size,” said Allison, nudging it into his lap. Blaine drew his bottom lip between his teeth nervously. “Wanna try it on?”

She began to open the plastic before he could even nod in the affirmative. He stood up as she pulled the gown out of the bag and shook it out. 

“Okay, arms out,” she said. 

Blaine chuckled and stuck his arms out straight in front of him. She bunched the gown up and slid his arms into the sleeves. 

“Arms up, now.”

He lifted his arms above his head and let her tug it down the rest of the way. Once she smoothed it out, he put his arms down and bent over a little to let her put the cap on his head, fussing a little to get it to stay over his hair, which was particularly fluffy today. When he finally stood up straight, Allison clapped happily and grinned.

“Perfect. Come on. You can’t deny you want to do this,” she said, reaching up to smooth out a few little wrinkles.

Blaine was about to reply when he looked up and saw Kurt walk into the room and freeze. He smiled at Kurt, feeling a bit of pride as he stood before him in the graduation outfit. 

“What’s going on here?” asked Kurt, sounding pleasantly surprised as he stepped closer to them.

“In recognition of all the time and resources he’s donated to the school in the past four years, they’re giving Daddy an honorary high school diploma and letting him walk with my class,” said Allison, sounding as proud as Blaine felt.

“That’s amazing,” said Kurt, still kind of stunned. “I didn’t know you gave them that much.”

Blaine shrugged. “I helped with the spring musicals every year. And remember I always, when Alli’s drama club traveled I always went with them.”

Kurt nodded and walked around behind him, smoothing the gown down over his back, then he looked over at Allison.

“Are you okay with this? Sharing your special day with him?” Kurt asked, keeping one arm wrapped around Blaine’s waist from behind. 

Allison nodded. “We’ve already talked about it. This was my idea. All my life everyone’s talked about how he’s overcome so much, but the closer I get to graduation, the more I can see how upset he is that he didn’t get this. Yes, Daddy, I know you’ve been pouting because I’m growing up and moving out and all that. But deep down I can tell you’re sad that you’ve missed out on this. You worked so hard all your life to prove you’re as smart as anyone, but you never got to have this one thing that most kids take for granted.”

Blaine felt emotions bubbling up inside him. Happiness and the urge to cry, pride and nervousness, and a little guilt for making her share her time in the spotlight. He blinked back the tears and swallowed the rest of the emotions, then pulled his daughter in for a tight hug. She returned it, smiling over his shoulder at Kurt.

“Well, I think this calls for a little celebration. Why don’t we all go out for dinner tonight?” Kurt suggested when Blaine and Allison finally parted. Both agreed to it completely and the two went about getting Blaine out of his cap and gown. It seemed that Blaine had finally forgotten how upset he was about Allison growing up.

…………………………..

Later that night, Blaine slid into bed and reached to turn the lights off when he felt Kurt’s arms slide around him from behind. The gentle press of Kurt’s soft lips along the bare skin of his back made him shiver.

“Leave the lights on,” whispered Kurt, kissing his way up the back of his neck to the sensitive skin just behind Blaine’s ear. Blaine’s eyes fluttered closed and he let out a shaky breath, leaning against Kurt. 

“Is this part of the celebration?” asked Blaine, punctuating the question with a soft moan as the tip of Kurt’s tongue traced the shell of his ear. Kurt hummed softly and pressed up against him, bringing one hand up and gently pulling Blaine’s head toward him so he could kiss his lips. Blaine kissed back, parting his lips. 

Kurt took advantage of the control Blaine was offering to him, tugging Blaine back until he was lying down, then he straddled his hips and ran his hands over Blaine’s chest lightly.

“Mmm…you are so gorgeous,” said Kurt, deliberately brushing a thumb over one of Blaine’s nipples, causing him to gasp and arch up slightly. 

“You’re more.” Blaine rested his hands on Kurt’s thighs, his thumbs brushing the inside of them lightly. He let his eyes wander over Kurt’s naked body, appreciating every inch of it. Every beautiful part of his body drew his attention, and Blaine couldn’t help rock his hips up, letting Kurt feel how much he appreciated the view.

“Oh, someone’s feeling good tonight.” Kurt smirked and leaned down, kissing him deeply as he slid his hands up and around the backs of Blaine’s shoulders, pulling him into the kiss. Blaine moaned and rutted his hips up a little, loving the feel of Kurt’s body on top of his. 

They kissed until they were forced to break apart for air, then Kurt pulled back and shimmied down Blaine’s body a little, grinding down on his cock to draw out a low moan. Kurt did that a few more times, driving Blaine a little crazy with how good it felt. 

“I want to make you feel good tonight,” said Kurt, smiling as Blaine watched him with dark, lustful eyes. 

“You always make me feel good,” said Blaine, brushing his fingers up to Kurt’s hips, holding on to them as he rutted up again. 

“I know, but I want to do whatever you want.” Kurt’s smile twisted in to a sexy little smirk.

Blaine blinked up at him, realizing Kurt wanted him to actually think. It was difficult to think when Kurt was looking at him like that. It almost reminded him of the way Kurt looked at him when they were young and still exploring their sexuality with each other. He shook his head a little and tried to force himself to think.

“I want…” His eyes trailed down Kurt’s body to his half hard cock resting against his thigh. His breathing sped up a little and his body ached in a good way. “I want you inside me.”

Kurt nodded and leaned down to kiss his chest, pressing little wet kisses all over his skin and licking over each nipple. Blaine groaned and slid his fingers into Kurt’s hair, his eyes drifting closed as he felt Kurt’s body slide down his further until he was settled between Blaine’s legs. He gasped softly as he felt Kurt place gentle kisses all over his cock, now twitching to full hardness. 

The click of a cap on a bottle of lube drew Blaine’s attention down to Kurt again, and he propped himself up enough to watch his gorgeous husband. Kurt smiled up at him, spreading lube over his fingers. Blaine returned the smile, letting pleasure fill him emotionally as well as physically as Kurt began to stretch him open gently. It wasn’t long before Blaine was ready, and Kurt was slicking up his cock and pushing in.

Oh. Blaine’s mouth dropped open in a silent moan as Kurt’s hips pushed forward. No matter how many times they had done this, it never affected him any less. Feeling Kurt inside him and over him and around him made him feel things nothing else could make him feel. He was happy and safe and content and so _full_ of pleasure and Kurt. 

Kurt began to move in steady, fast movements. He knew just how to move to make Blaine gasp and moan. Blaine’s arms began to tremble from holding him up, and he felt Kurt’s strong arms slip around his back, his hands grasping Blaine’s shoulders from behind. He pressed up as close as he could between Blaine’s legs, pulling him up and hugging their chests together. Blaine felt him panting, warm puffs of breath against his skin. Kurt’s hips snapped forward quickly a few times, and Blaine let out a little whine as he buried his face into the crook of Kurt’s neck.

“You’re so beautiful, always so beautiful,” Kurt whispered, his breath hot against Blaine’s neck. Blaine felt heat rise in his cheeks as he opened his mouth to say that Kurt was beautiful too, but Kurt gave one particularly hard thrust that had his words turning fast into loud moans. 

He held on to Kurt tight, feeling the slide of their bodies as the whole world dissolved into nothing but the squeak of the bed and the slap of skin on skin and the hot, heavy feeling of Kurt everywhere. Years ago, he probably would have already finished, but now he was able to close his eyes and feel the pleasure building slow and steady with each slide of Kurt’s cock inside him.

Kurt let out a steady stream of moans, followed by Blaine’s name, and Blaine could tell he was getting closer. He gasped as he felt Kurt’s fingers slip around his own cock, and the pleasure made him tremble. 

“Fuck, Blaine,” Kurt swore, moving to rest his forehead against Blaine’s, dipping down for little open mouthed kisses, almost missing Blaine’s lips entirely. Blaine tried to kiss back, but each time he leaned up for the kiss he felt a burst of pleasure from Kurt’s thrusts.

“Close?” Blaine gasped, leaning up a little so he felt that burst of pleasure from every thrust. His eyes rolled back as he felt Kurt’s fingers rubbing over the sensitive spot just under the head of his cock.

“Yes,” Kurt moaned, his thrusts getting jerky and fast. His hand sped up on Blaine’s cock and his movements became more erratic, but he held off as long as he could, desperate to make Blaine come first. Blaine let himself succumb to the pleasure bursting through his nerves and his orgasm built up quickly and sent him over the edge. He came hard, his muscles tight around Kurt through the last few thrusts before Kurt came inside him, crying out his name. 

Blaine was boneless after, as he always was, and he collapsed onto the bed and tried to catch his breath. Kurt slipped out of him and moments later he felt a washcloth on his skin, then the warm, solid weight of Kurt cuddling up beside him. 

“What was that for?” asked Blaine, although Kurt rarely needed a reason to make love to him.

“Just thank you, I guess,” said Kurt, pressing his lips to Blaine’s sweat dampened shoulder.

“For?”

“Everything. For being my husband. For giving me a daughter as wonderful as Alli. For teaching me what’s important in life. For being strong enough and smart enough to be the wonderful man I’ve always known you could be.” Kurt propped his chin on Blaine’s chest and looked up at him.

Blaine smiled tiredly from the praise, then wrapped both arms around Kurt to hug him tight.

“Thank you for being my husband and being awesome at sex,” said Blaine, grinning even as his eyes drifted shut for the final time that night, drifting asleep to the sound of Kurt’s laughter.

……………………………

Graduation day came quickly after that, and everyone met at Kurt and Blaine’s for a little pre-graduation party before heading to the school where the ceremony would take place. With Blaine being somewhat of a guest of honor, they were allowed to invite as many people as they wanted, while the rest of Allison’s class was limited to a certain number of guests per person. 

Everyone close to them found a way to make it to the celebration. Burt, Carole, Jack, Cooper, Gina, Rachel, Jesse, Finn, Santana, Veronica, Abby, and even Elliott and Miranda were all mingling around the apartment as Blaine and Allison helped each other get ready in Kurt and Blaine’s bedroom. It was quiet in there, for all the noise in all the other rooms.

“I’m nervous,” confessed Allison, as Blaine gently combed her hair. He used to do it often when she was little, and he had missed it. She let him now, though, comforted by the action as though it calmed her as she straddled the line between child and adult.

“Me too,” said Blaine. “But mostly because I know I’ll trip.”

Allison laughed and turned slightly to face him.

“You’ll be fine, Daddy. If you want, we can go up together since our names will be first.” She reached for his hand, as if to let him know that it was really alright if he said yes.

“Okay,” said Blaine. “I think I’d like that.”

“Good.” Allison smiled. “Now aren’t you gonna ask why I’m nervous?”

Blaine rolled his eyes and set down the hair brush. “Okay, why are you nervous?”

“I’m not going to the after party with the rest of my class,” she said. 

Blaine raised an eyebrow. She had been so excited to go be with her friends from school as a group one last time before they all parted for adulthood. Something even better must have come up, although Blaine couldn’t fathom what it could be. 

“Last week when Finn came home from school, me and him and Abby all hung out since it was the first time since Christmas we’d seen each other. After, Abby went home first and Finn offered to make sure I got home safe, so I accepted. It turns out he really wanted to ask me out. On a date. Like, a real, romantic date,” Allison told him. 

Blaine stared at her for a moment, comprehending all she told him. Finn, as in Rachel’s son Finn, had asked Allison out on a date. His Allison. They saw each other enough as kids to be close friends, but not enough to feel like brother and sister apparently. 

“Did you say yes?” Blaine finally asked in reply.

“I did,” said Allison. “He told me how he’d had feelings for me since I started high school, how he ignored it for a few years and decided to date in college to see if the feelings would go away, but they didn’t. He promised himself he wouldn’t date me while I was still in high school, and as of later tonight, I won’t be in high school anymore.”

“I don’t know what to say,” said Blaine honestly. He shifted a little, still finding the topic of Allison dating a little uncomfortable. She was a legally adult woman now, but she was also his baby girl. And dating someone so close to their family could be dangerous, especially if things went bad.

“Be happy for me?” She flashed him those same big round hazel eyes that he had, and he wondered how many times he had used that same tactic on Kurt. “He’s so sweet, and cute, and even though I never thought of him like this before, I think we could really have a connection.”

“I am happy for you.” Blaine smiled at her encouragingly. He gave her hand a squeeze and took a deep breath. “You’re an adult now. You can make these choices. When I was, when Papa and I were your age, we were moving to an apartment in another state in, in a strange city full of weird people. We were young kids in love. I always knew, though, knew we were soulmates and it was perfect, being with him like that. My parents were always, they bent the rules a little when it came to raising me. They knew we were having, that we were sleeping together and stuff. Sometimes I don’t know how they were okay with it. It’s so scary to think of you being like that with someone. You’re my little girl.”

“Daddy,” Allison sounded serious, even though she was smiling. “I haven’t had sex yet. With anyone. And if there’s anything you’ve taught me, it’s to follow my instincts when it comes to love. You have to trust that I’ll be smart about these things. I am your daughter after all.”

Blaine felt himself blush a little at that as he glanced over to where their matching cap and gown sets were laid out on the bed. 

“Besides, even if I do make some mistakes, I’ll always be able to come back to you, right?” She looked at him with those eyes again, almost perfectly identical to his.

“Of course,” he said. “Always. Never forget that.”

She nodded and leaned forward to kiss his cheek just as there was a knock on the bedroom door. It was Cooper, all dressed up handsomely and looking half his age. Blaine envied him for that. Blaine worked hard to keep his body nice, but he couldn’t help it if he still showed some age here and there.

“Hey squirt and mini squirt. We’re getting antsy out here. It’s almost time to go,” said Cooper, grinning mischievously.

“Shut up,” said Blaine, glaring at Cooper as he pushed himself off the bed and gathered his cap and gown. “C’mon, Alli. It’s time to graduate!”

Allison grinned and jumped up, gathering her cap and gown as well. She felt a pleasant buzz of excitement from both the occasion and the fact that she got to share this with Blaine. She knew firsthand the kind of struggles he still faced daily, and she heard countless stories of his life before she was born, and it only served to make her admire him even more. Sharing her graduation day with him seemed small compared to all the courage and strength he had given her.

The two of them left the room together and made their way through the apartment, hugging and talking to their family as they went. Two limos had been rented to be able to take them all to the school in style. It wasn’t long before they had to go or they would be late, so everyone left in a big, laughing, energetic group and piled into the limos. 

Blaine found himself sitting between Kurt and Jack, who was still well and healthy for his age despite losing his beloved wife so early. When Blaine told him that not only would he be seeing his granddaughter graduate, but he would finally be able to see his son graduate high school as well, it had brought tears to his eyes. 

They arrived at the school at last and Kurt gave Blaine a quick hug before helping his own dad out of the limo and inside to the auditorium. Everyone else followed Kurt’s lead, leaving Allison to show Blaine where the graduates were getting ready.

“We practiced this morning without you as a class,” said Allison, talking fast with nerves and excitement. “We’ll all line up, and we’ll both be leading the first line, while someone else leads another line. We’ll enter through the doors near the stage and walk up and around the center of the auditorium, crossing with the other line of graduates, then back down and to our seats in the front row. Then the choir will sing and a few speeches will happen, then they’ll call our names and we go get our diplomas. Sound easy enough?”

She had lost Blaine way back when she started talking about lines, but he figured she knew what to do so he just nodded and knew to follow her. 

Lucky for him, it wasn’t too difficult. Everything happened just as she had described, and Blaine hadn’t tripped at all. Halfway through walking to their seats, Blaine got a little distracted when he saw Kurt waving at him, but a little encouragement from the person behind him kept him going. Once they were seated, Blaine found himself wondering why Allison conveniently forgot to tell him the speeches and singing would last for nearly an hour. 

At last, it was time for the names to be called. There were a couple of names called first, going to people with titles with entirely too many letters for Blaine’s liking, which Allison quietly explained meant they had the best grades of anyone. Next, to Blaine’s surprised, they called his name.

“Our next diploma goes to someone very special to our community,” the principal began. “This is an honorary diploma, declaring this person a graduate of our high school, and it is well earned. He has a tremendous and inspiring life story and hasn’t let it slow him down. It is a pleasure of mine to give his honorary diploma to Blaine Anderson-Hummel.”

The whole room began to cheer and clap and Blaine sort of stumbled out of his seat into a standing position. He had thought Allison’s name would be first, and he didn’t want to have to go up alone. He took a deep breath and went for it though, but was surprised when he felt her smaller hand fit into his, and she was right by his side as she promised. 

Together they climbed the steps up the stage and Blaine received the purple diploma cover with the school’s name written on it, then he shook the principle’s hand and thanked him. Allison waited a few feet behind him, and he turned around quickly to watch her receive her own diploma. Now that his own moment in the spotlight was out of the way, his dad instincts kicked in and this was something he couldn’t miss.

“Now on to our students,” said the principal. “Allison Anderson-Hummel.”

Allison smiled, her cheeks a little red from already being up on the stage. She waved to the audience a little and received the loudest cheers from their family. After accepting her diploma, she hurried over and hugged Blaine tight, nearly knocking the caps off both their heads in the process. 

He laughed and took her hand, holding it as they watched the rest of her class get their diplomas. Finally the principal gave one last “congratulations class of 2045!” and then they flipped the tassels on their caps and graduation was complete. 

And just like that, thirty-two years late, Blaine finally graduated high school. It was no longer about proving he was smart enough or even that he needed that diploma for anything in particular. This little triumph, made possible by his wonderful daughter and supported by his amazing family, gave him back something he never had a real chance to get because of the accident. 

Now, Blaine felt like he had it all. He had a husband, a daughter, a comfortable life, family and friends who loved him, and even a satisfying job working for the foundation that he created. There was nothing more in his life that he wanted to achieve, he simply wanted to continue with what he had and enjoy it for as long as he was capable. For having brain damage so severe it was questionable whether he would live this long, Blaine felt pretty good to have all that he had. He was happier now than he had ever been, and it was a pretty darn good feeling.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed this and thanks for reading.


	19. Blaine is Very Tired

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> But for the most part, things were well for them. Until one day, they weren’t.

Things go well for Kurt and Blaine as the years pass by. They always joked that’s how you can tell when two people are meant to be. You can’t tell when they’re young and just starting out, because there is always passion in a relationship then. The real telltale sign is if that passion is still there after thirty or forty years of marriage. When people asked them how they made it that long and still looked at each other like teenagers in love, Blaine would just reply that Kurt was his soulmate and there was nothing else to it. 

After Allison moved away for college, she never came back. She visited frequently, but she went from living with friends to moving in with Finn, and when he proposed after three years of dating, they got married and there was no need for her to move back home. It remained just Kurt and Blaine in their apartment, and they quickly grew reacquainted to sharing their space only with each other. 

Allison got her chance to shine in the spotlight, taking after Kurt in so many ways. Blaine had never been as proud as he was the day he first watched her perform on a Broadway stage. At least not until the day she told him she was pregnant. It was the first of two grandchildren, and Blaine never hesitated to offer his babysitting services to the two most adorable munchkins in the whole wide world.

Kurt alternated between teaching and performing for many years after Allison left home, but upon receiving the title of grandpa, he decided to retire and lend his help to Blaine’s charity, which was still going strong after all those years. After a busy life, he loved the prospect of spending his later years just enjoying his time with Blaine. Despite getting older, their love life never seemed to fade. Kurt always joked that a side effect of Blaine’s medication was an increased libido. Although, they never really needed an excuse.

Shortly after the birth of their second grandchild, Kurt received a devastating but semi-expected call from Ohio. Burt’s health had taken a turn for the worst and he had passed away. The funeral was difficult for Kurt, and Blaine had begun to worry about his own aging father as well. Jack was just a few years older than Burt, but he still seemed to be as healthy as ever. When they returned from Ohio, Blaine made it a point of visiting his Dad every single day. He never missed a day.

While Blaine was busy worrying about Jack, Kurt was busy worrying about Blaine. After his sixty-third birthday, Kurt began to notice things about Blaine. He was becoming more forgetful, he began to stutter more frequently in his speech, and he was clumsier than he had been in a long time. Kurt worried that Blaine was regressing, that all the progress he had fought for all his life was slipping away and before long he would be that same scared, confused boy he was when he met Kurt except in an old man’s body. 

But for the most part, things were well for them. Until one day, they weren’t.

…………………………….

_May 14, 2060_

It was that time again. Time for their yearly benefit for Blaine’s foundation, and this was a big one. Years ago, Blaine had held a fundraiser to start up a brain injury research division, and since then they had been making big strides in diagnosing and treating brain injuries. They were going to announce a new treatment in the works for helping people heal from injuries as severe as Blaine’s had been. 

Blaine really wanted to attend this benefit, to hear the first presentation of this information, but it was difficult when he could hardly stand without his head swimming with pain. Kurt was in the bathroom attached to their room, chatting excitedly about who was going to be there this year. His words seemed to blur together as Blaine rubbed his temple. It had been a long time since his head hurt this bad.

He took a deep breath and tried to straighten up so he could tie his bowtie, but the agony from his head forced a wave of nausea through him. His fingers trembled weakly, and he could barely grip the silk of the tie.

“Are you alright?”

Kurt had come into the bedroom and was now kneeling in front of him, looking concerned as he batted Blaine’s hands away and tied the bowtie for him. Blaine swallowed thickly and closed his eyes, breathing through his nose as he tried to get the pain to go away.

“Head hurts,” he murmured. 

“Do you need your medicine?” asked Kurt, bringing a hand up to cup Blaine’s cheek. Blaine leaned into his palm, nodding once before regretting the action. Kurt stood and went into the bathroom again, and Blaine could hear the pop of a pill bottle followed by the faucet running for a few seconds. Kurt returned with a glass of water and one of Blaine’s big white emergency pain pills. 

Blaine reached out, hands shaking, and took them both. He swallowed the pill down and chased it with the water, letting out a sigh as he kept his eyes closed and hoped that it would work. The bed dipped beside him and he felt Kurt’s hand on his back, rubbing gently.

“You don’t have to go,” said Kurt softly. “If you’re really not feeling well, you should rest.”

“No,” said Blaine. He finished off the water and set the cup on the nightstand. “I’m going. I, tonight is important, I can’t, can’t miss it.” 

He took a deep breath and willed his trembling hands to stop. His left arm was trembling most, the muscles tingling like they were going numb. It felt strange, and he tried to regain control of his body. 

“If you’re sick, yes you can,” said Kurt, rubbing his back gently. Blaine tried to shift his attention to Kurt, to the hand on his back, to the warmth of his solid comforting body beside him. Maybe focusing on something other than his head and his hands would make the pain go away. 

“I gotta go, Kurt,” he insisted. He sighed and leaned against Kurt, resting his head on Kurt’s shoulder. He took in the comforting smell of Kurt, letting it wash over him and calm him as it had so many times before. Kurt held him for as long as he needed, wrapping both arms around him and hugging him close, every now and then nuzzling against Blaine’s salt and pepper curls and pressing a kiss to his temple. 

“I love you,” said Kurt softly, barely a whisper. 

“Love you more,” said Blaine, looking up at him as he finally felt the relief of the medication washing through him, dulling the headache to a tolerable level and giving him a tiny boost of energy.

“Sure you do,” chuckled Kurt softly, giving him a quick kiss on the lips. “Better now?”

Blaine nodded. His arm still felt weird, but his head was starting to get a little better. He would make it through this benefit and then he could sleep through all of tomorrow.

“I’m gonna go call a cab, okay?” Kurt gave him one last little hug and stood.

“Okay,” said Blaine. “I’ll be out in a minute.”

Kurt smiled and headed out of the bedroom. Blaine took a deep breath and rubbed at his temple again. The pill wasn’t working as well as it usually did. He’d have to talk about it with his doctor next week.

After a few minutes, he pushed himself off the bed and was hit with a rush of dizziness. Blindly he put his hand out and it landed on the nightstand, propping him up. He closed his eyes again until he felt steady, then he slowly opened them. His left eye felt heavy, like it was weighing down his face. He blinked a couple times, trying to get rid of the sensation.

He took a step forward, panic rising in his chest as the need to get to Kurt was suddenly very urgent. He was able to get balance on his shaking legs long enough to get to the wall, using it as a crutch. With each step down the hallway, he felt his left leg give a little, the tingling sensation from his arm spreading down his leg as well. His heart pounded in his chest, beating wild and out of control. Gasping, his lungs felt tight, like he couldn’t get enough air.

“Kurt…” He called out to his husband, then he stumbled a little and called Kurt’s name again, this time shouting it just before his leg gave out on him. He felt to the floor with a heavy thud, his head bouncing off the wood and sending him into darkness.

………………………….

In the living room, Kurt had just ended the call to the cab company when he heard Blaine call out to him. He was already heading to him when he heard the shout and the following thud, and he ran to the hallway.

“Blaine!” Kurt hurried over to him where he was lying on the floor, face down. “No no no no, Blaine!”

He fell to his knees, not caring how much the action hurt, and pulled Blaine into his lap. He pressed his fingers to Blaine’s neck and felt a pulse. Still alive. Good. He fished in his pocket for the phone and fumbled to dial for help. Shaking, he told the operator on the other end what was happening and they assured him that help was on the way. Kurt set the phone down without even ending the call and wrapped his arms around Blaine’s limp body, hugging him tight. 

“Please be okay,” Kurt pleaded softly, leaning down and pressing his face against Blaine’s neck, feeling the life in him, begging him not to let go of it.

It wasn’t long before help came. Kurt forced himself to let go of Blaine, but refused to leave his side. As the paramedics took him away, Kurt quickly grabbed his phone and locked their apartment before hurrying out and into the ambulance with Blaine. He clutched his hand and looked down just as Blaine’s eyes began to blink open. 

“Wha…?” Blaine muttered, his left eye and his mouth drooping considerably. Kurt’s heart thudded heavily in his chest as he stayed in Blaine’s line of sight but allowed the paramedics to do their job. He couldn’t even speak with the panic and worry bubbling inside of him. It didn’t take a genius to work out that this was no mini stroke. Kurt only hoped they could get to the hospital in time.

Things seemed to happen in a blur, then. They arrived and Blaine’s doctor was called in. Blaine was taken away, and suddenly Kurt found himself alone in a hallway while the team of doctors desperately did what they could to diagnose and treat something that Kurt knew was essentially untreatable. 

Kurt pulled his phone from his pocket with trembling fingers and tapped a quick message to Allison.

_Cancel benefit. Dad’s in hospital. Hurry._

………………………….

Everyone seemed to arrive all at once, with the exception of Cooper and Gina, who had to take a detour from the benefit to go pick up Jack. They arrived ten minutes later, and the whole family was gathered outside of the hospital room Blaine had been moved to. Kurt knew they were out there, knew they were itching to find out what was wrong. But he was being selfish. He wouldn’t let them in, not yet.

Blaine was awake. He had been scanned and operated on with a new, non-invasive procedure developed in the last few years, then he had been scanned again and finally given a room to rest. His doctor had determined that his brain had been compensating for the damaged parts too long, and his body seemed to be giving up. There was a chance that he could come out of it, though. It was up to Blaine.

The prognosis: if he made it through the next twenty-four hours, he would live. If not, well. That was pretty self-explanatory.

But Blaine was awake now, laying in his hospital bed and almost as pale as the sheets under him. His eyes were tired and red, and no matter how much medication they gave him his head still ached worse than it ever had before in his entire life. Each time Kurt watched him blink, it seemed to take an eternity for his eyes to open again. He could tell Blaine was tired as he struggled to survive each passing minute.

“Kurt…” Blaine spoke softly, his voice raspy. 

“I’m here, honey. I’m right here.” Kurt stood from his chair beside Blaine’s bed and hovered over him, clutching his hand tightly.

“Kurt…I wanna go home…” His words were slightly slurred. A likely permanent side effect of the stroke.

“You can’t, you’re sick. You need to rest to get better.” Kurt blinked back tears forming in his eyes as he reached up and gently stroked his fingers over Blaine’s cheek. Blaine tried to lean closer to the touch, then cringed at the near blinding pain. 

“It hurts,” whined Blaine. “Please. I can’t, here…can’t get, please…”

Kurt watched him for a minute, his heart breaking to watch his husband struggling so much. If he did make it, life would not be easy for either of them after. But Blaine was thinking what Kurt was too scared to think. Blaine didn’t want to die in the hospital. The only cure now was Blaine’s own strength. There was nothing the doctors could really do now except give him medicine, which clearly wasn’t helping enough.

“I’ll see what I can do,” said Kurt.

He leaned down and gave Blaine a gentle kiss. Blaine promised him he would be as strong as he could, and Kurt just tried not to cry as he called for Blaine’s doctor.

……………………………..

Two hours later they were home. The family had uprooted itself from its temporary residence in the hallway and made it to the apartment, where Kurt tucked Blaine into bed and gave him a drink of water through a straw. Even drinking hurt.

“You’re in so much pain,” stated Kurt, his voice breaking slightly as he finally felt the tears working their way out. He held Blaine’s hand and looked down at his pale face.

“It hurts,” whispered Blaine. “’m tryin’…wanna be, be better, for you…”

Kurt nodded, sniffling softly. It broke his heart, knowing that Blaine was suffering through this for him. The reason Blaine was clinging to life with every last ounce of strength he had was so that Kurt wouldn’t be left behind alone. If it hadn’t been for Kurt, Blaine likely wouldn’t still be alive. Yes, there were many other people in Blaine’s life who loved him, but it always came down to Kurt mattering the most.

“I don’t want to be the reason you’re hurting so much,” said Kurt. He brushed his hand through Blaine’s curls, feeling for the thousandth time the softness of the strands through his fingers. This time it felt different. It felt like he was really feeling it for the first time. 

“Can’t…leave, can’t…you,” Blaine muttered softly. He blinked tiredly and leaned toward Kurt’s hand, craving the touch as much as Kurt was. Kurt hated how final it seemed, to be touching him like this.

“Remember when you asked me what happened to soulmates after one dies?” 

Blaine nodded, then cringed at the pain that followed.

“I told you that some people find others to spend the rest of their lives with, but they never forget their soulmates,” said Kurt. He could see another flash of pain in Blaine’s eyes, but this time it wasn’t from his head. It was from the thought of Kurt finding someone else. “That won’t happen with me. I’ll be very sad when you go, but I’ll be okay. I would never try to replace you. No one could do for me what you have done all these years, and no one could ever love me the way you do.”

Blaine seemed to look a little relieved, and he closed his eyes for a moment. Kurt held his breath, scared that Blaine would die right then and there. After a few seconds, his eyes blinked open again and he took a deep, shuddering breath.

“I love you, Blaine. More than words will ever say. And because of that, I can’t stand to be the reason you keep suffering. If you have to let go, then let go,” said Kurt. Now he was unable to hide how much he was crying. It hurt so much to say it, to give Blaine permission to die. But he couldn’t let him keep going like this.

“I want…see ev’ryone…can you…” Blaine broke off and winced, squeezing his eyes shut as another wave of pain rushed through his head. Kurt had to look away.

“I’ll send them in. One at a time?” Kurt looked back just in time to see Blaine nod. 

“Start with Alli,” said Blaine.

Kurt leaned over and kissed him softly, then reluctantly stood and left the room.

…………………………..

Allison entered the room. She mirrored the pale skinned, red eyed look of her Dad, but out of misery instead of sickness. She sat on the edge of the bed, as close to Blaine as she could get. The pain was evident in every part of his face, and she had a sinking feeling that he called her in for a final goodbye. 

Blaine reached a shaking hand up and placed it on her rounded belly, rubbing softly. He closed his eyes for a moment, sighing almost contently as he felt the baby kick. She was seven and a half months pregnant. 

“Daddy…” she whispered, covering his hand with hers. She was crying now. “Daddy, it’s a boy. We were going to announce it at the baby shower next month. But I want you to know it’s a boy. And I’m going to name him after you.”

He managed a little smile at that, his thumb still stroking lightly. His unborn grandchild was in there, and he probably wouldn’t get to meet him. 

“Please don’t die.” Allison cried, leaning over as much as she could to give him a hug. 

“’m sorry,” he said. “It’s bad. I, it hurts, Alli. It hurts. I can’t, it’s been so long. Been fighting my whole life. I can’t…”

Allison nodded. She understood. But it didn’t make it hurt any less.

“This baby, and all my kids, they will know you. I’ll tell them everything. They’ll know how brave you’ve been your whole life. How much you’ve overcome. How strong you are. I’ll make sure of it. And there won’t be a day that goes by where I don’t miss you. And every time I look in the mirror, I’ll see you looking back at me and remember how much you will always love me,” Allison told him. She took his hand in both of hers and lifted it to her lips, kissing it gently. 

“Don’t be sad, baby girl,” said Blaine, tiredly. “Daddy loves you. Forever. I won’t say, tell you goodbye. Just I love you.”

“I love you too, Daddy.” She cried. She held his hand to her cheek and she cried harder. It was too final. Too obvious that this was the end. When the tears slowed, she lowered his hand and gave him one last hug. He tiredly wrapped his arms around her in return, but it was obviously a struggle. 

She left him reluctantly, and she didn’t say goodbye.

……………………....

Cooper went in, and when he came out twenty minutes later, he looked devastated. He didn’t know what to do with himself. It was heartbreaking. Finn went in after, holding the hands of his and Allison’s two little girls. They spent half an hour with Blaine. The eldest girl understood what was going on, but the youngest didn’t. No one had the heart to tell her the truth. Rachel went next and managed to keep her composure somehow. Everyone suspected that she was doing what she did best: acting. 

Abby followed Rachel, looking solemnly sad when she went in, and completely miserable when she came out. Veronica went in after, a little surprised to have been requested. She spent the shortest time with Blaine, a mere ten minutes, and returned with a tear in her eye like most of the others. Next, Blaine had requested Santana. 

Santana almost didn’t want to go in. She didn’t want to see Blaine like this. If Blaine hadn’t been gay and she hadn’t been a lesbian, she was one hundred percent sure the two of them would have been soulmates. He was her very best friend. She had spent so much of her life dedicated to making sure he was happy and healthy and loved, she wouldn’t know what to do if he was gone. Hell, she had even given birth to his child. There was nothing in the world she wouldn’t do for him.

Entering the room was painful. Looking at him, looking frail and weak and hurting, it stabbed somewhere deep in her chest, in the place where she knew her heart was supposed to be. She stood by the door and shook her head. This wasn’t happening. He wasn’t dying. He did not ask her in here to say goodbye to her.

“No,” she said. “No. You’re not doing this to me, Blaine.”

“Tana, please.” Blaine was tired. He had done a lot of talking already today and nothing was making the pain go away. It was only getting worse, and he didn’t know how much longer he could hold on.

“No!” Santana raised her voice. “No, I won’t say goodbye to you!”

Instantly she regretted it when she saw Blaine cringe. With a sigh, she stepped closer to him, sitting on the edge of the bed just out of reach of him. 

“I’m sorry,” she whispered. “This is your life. You’re lying in here, calling us all in one by one, saying goodbye like you’ve already given it up.”

“Trying, Tana. Trying to fight it,” he said. 

“Kurt isn’t the only one who will miss you,” said Santana. “We all will miss you. We all love you. Just because Kurt says it’s okay for you to let go doesn’t mean you should.”

Blaine looked at her, staying silent. His face was emotionless, nearing lifeless. Santana could hardly stand to see it. She didn’t want it to end like this. It was too soon.

“Santana. You did so much for me. You gave me Allison. You cared for me. You’re my best friend. I will…” He trailed off and gasped, bringing and hand up and rubbing at his head, trying to get the ache to subside for even a second. It didn’t. He took a few more deep breaths, then spoke again. “I will try. I wanna hold on. I wanna live. ‘m Just scared I won’t…”

Santana nodded, gently pressing a finger to his lips to silence him. They sat in the quiet, looking at each other for a few minutes. When she couldn’t stand to look at him anymore, she climbed on the bed and laid down beside him, curling up with her head tucked near his shoulder and her arm around him. It made her feel young again, holding him like that. For a long while, she let herself become surrounded by the warmth and the smell of Blaine. She didn’t know how much time had passed, because neither of them said a word. 

Finally, their moment was interrupted when Kurt knocked on the door to check on them. Blaine was still awake, but just barely. Santana gave him a quick kiss on the cheek, then climbed off the bed and looked down at him.

“I will not say goodbye,” she said. He nodded once, clearly exhausted, but did not say anything. Santana backed away a few steps, and then finally turned to leave. She refused to believe it would be the last time she would see him alive.

……………………………..

Jack was the last person to enter the room. He walked in slowly, taking his time closing the door behind him. His movements were sluggish but careful, but he moved well for a man of ninety-one. With hair white as snow and a face pulled down by wrinkles and a lifetime filled with stress and heartbreak, Jack slowly lowered himself to sit on the bed. He heaved a great sigh, then looked at his son.

“I always knew I would have to watch you die,” said Jack honestly. “I’m just surprised you made it this long.”

Blaine didn’t know how to reply, so he simply blinked up at the face of the man who had been there for him longer than anyone else. Even Kurt.

“You’ve been fighting since the day you were born. Fighting to live. God, you’ve always been so strong. Some people get handed an easy life, and they’re still miserable and weak. You never had it easy, born as premature as you were. And then the accident. I never knew why you bothered to hang on so much to life, when all it did was hurt you. But I’m glad you did, son.” Jack put a trembling hand on Blaine’s chest, above his heart, and let it rest there. 

“’m tired,” said Blaine, letting his eyes drift closed as he tried to gain as much strength as he could from the heavy weight of his Dad’s hand.

“Yeah, I bet you are,” said Jack. “They probably all begged you to hold on, but I think you’ve held on for a good long time already. You’ve done your job here, Blaine. Now I think it’s time for you to rest.”

Blaine brought his own hand up and covered Jack’s with it, then forced his eyes open once more. 

“Mama’s there, I can hear her,” whispered Blaine. His lips curled upward in a little smile. “She says to only come with her if I’m ready.”

“Are you ready?” asked Jack, his voice finally quivering with the sadness he felt.

“I don’t know,” replied Blaine. His smile faded and his brow furrowed. The pain still hadn’t subsided even a little bit. “I promised to, that I, I would fight.”

“Maybe you should sleep,” said Jack. “Maybe that will make it all go away.”

Blaine nodded once and gave his hand a little squeeze, then let Jack go. The elder man stood, his joints creaking and cracking as he did so, and began his journey to the door. He paused and looked back at Blaine.

“Send Kurt?” Blaine asked. 

Jack nodded.

“Say hello to Mama for me, when you see her,” said Jack. 

When, not if. He was a realistic man.

……………………….

Kurt entered the room and immediately crawled across his side of the bed to Blaine’s, getting under the covers with him and wrapping his arms around him. After some situating, they faced each other, Kurt letting his eyes roam Blaine’s face, memorizing again every detail he had taken for granted.

“Jus’ wanna sleep,” murmured Blaine. 

“Tell me you love me one more time,” said Kurt, settling in with Blaine’s body pressed close. He just needed to feel him, to cuddle him tight. 

“I love you, Kurt,” said Blaine, the way he had every day since he was sixteen and Kurt was seventeen. In that beautiful, innocent way that conveyed nothing but pure, unconditional love.

“I love you too, honey,” said Kurt. He leaned down to kiss him, and with some effort, Blaine managed to kiss back. “Sleep now, my love. I’ll be here when you wake.”

Blaine gave a little nod and tightened his arms around Kurt, then his eyes drifted shut at last and it didn’t take long for him to fall asleep. Kurt watched him for a while, then drifted off to sleep as well, with one hopeful thought on his mind. All Blaine had to do was make it through the night, and everything would be fine.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I imagine that was as tough, or tougher, to read than it was to write. There is one chapter left, and it will be up in a couple of days. Thanks to everyone, and I appreciate all the comments and kudos.


	20. Kurt Misses Blaine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kurt deals with his grief and the loss of Blaine.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings for mentions of death, suicidal thoughts, a lot of grief, a funeral, and a whole lot of love. The song in this chapter is called Live Forever by Drew Holcomb & the Neighbors.

There was an almost full bottle of amber liquid on the table in front of him, followed by fourteen big white pills laid out in a perfect line. He held a glass in his hand, filled with the same amber liquid, but he hadn’t taken a drink from it yet. He wanted to, but he couldn’t. Every time he raised the glass to his lips, his arm locked up and froze.

Damn his conscience. He just wanted to stop remembering. 

It had been two days since he woke up in the middle of the night to Veronica shaking him and the sounds of Santana and Allison sobbing in the background. He looked around desperately for his husband. As soon as he laid eyes on him, he wanted to throw up. Blaine’s skin was already fading gray. His eyes closed and his lips curled in the tiniest smile. His chest was still, and when Kurt reached for him, he was shocked at how cold he was. 

It had been five hours, explained Veronica sadly. They decided to check on the two of them, and found that they had separated in their sleep. It looked like Blaine had rolled away, like he didn’t want Kurt to wake up and find him dead in his arms. He had probably been gone for an hour or two. And Kurt had been sleeping the whole time.

Kurt gritted his teeth. It was still all so fresh. He lifted the glass to his mouth and forced himself to take a drink. The liquid burned his throat. It was the first time he had actually felt something in two days.

He hadn’t eaten or slept in all that time. He couldn’t go back in the bedroom. He couldn’t even look at the bed he had shared with his husband for years, knowing Blaine had died there. 

Kurt shuddered.

The words _Blaine_ and _died_ should not go together. 

The hours after they had taken Blaine’s body away, Kurt had sat numbly in the very same spot he was in now on the living room couch. He had listened to the cries of family. The placating comments of “ _at least he went peacefully_ ” and “ _now he won’t suffer anymore_ ” drifted around the room, as though the manner in which Blaine died made the fact that he was dead somehow more bearable. 

It was all bullshit. Bull. Fucking. Shit.

Kurt leaned forward, slamming the glass on the table in front of him. He stared at the pills. Blaine’s pills. The orange pill bottle sat in the center of the pill line. The label with Blaine’s name on it. 

_Anderson-Hummel, Blaine D_.

God. Just seeing his name make Kurt sick with grief. He reached for a pill and held it between his thumb and index finger. If he could only just take them all, then he could be with Blaine. He could end it right then and there and be with Blaine forever. Of course, that would be the easy way to deal with things. Blaine had never taken the easy way in his life, unless you count dying. 

“Don’t you dare.” A voice startled Kurt out of his suicidal contemplation. He slowly turned around to see Santana standing behind the couch. She was dressed from head to toe in black, her gray streaked black hair hanging down and framing her face. Her eyes had dark circles around them, no doubt from getting as little sleep as Kurt had in the last few days.

“Why does it matter?” asked Kurt. He held up the pill for them both to see. “He’s gone. He won’t miss them.”

“Don’t be an idiot,” said Santana. She leaned forward and snatched the pill from his fingers. “If Blaine knew what you were thinking of doing, he would come back to life just so he could bury his body and roll over in his grave.”

Kurt glared at her bitterly. “This is not a joke, Santana. He’s dead.”

“As if I didn’t already know that.” She stomped around the couch, to the table, and grabbed up all the pills in her hand. She turned on her heel and headed down the hallway, and a seconds later Kurt heard the flush of a toilet. She returned and crossed her arms in front of her.

“You’re a bitch, Satan.” Kurt snatched up the now empty pill body and sunk down into the couch. He held it up in front of him, staring at Blaine’s name, like it somehow connected them.

“Yeah I am. But I also care about you. And I care about Alli, who would be crushed if she lost both her parents in the same week,” said Santana. 

Kurt was silent for a moment. It hurt thinking about Allison. She looked too much like Blaine. How would he go on acting like everything was okay when just the thought of looking at his daughter made him ache with missing Blaine? 

“I lied,” said Kurt softly. Santana didn’t respond verbally. She slowly lowered herself to sit beside him, waiting for him to continue. “I told him I would be okay if he let go. I lied. I don’t know how I’m going to do this. It _hurts_. Not just…not emotionally. Physically. We had such a, a physical relationship, you know? He was always so tactile, like even when nothing else worked, a touch could always calm him. Even when we were just friends, he wanted to be close. I can hardly remember a time when I was with him where we weren’t touching. Holding hands, cuddling, hugging, kissing, or just sitting with our shoulders touching. I feel like I’ve lost half of my body. That’s the hardest part. Everything is so empty and cold now.”

Santana was crying, tiny little hitches as she struggled to hold it in. She knew what he was talking about, to some extent.

“I don’t think we’ll ever stop missing him,” said Santana, wiping her eyes with a tissue she magically produced from her purse.

Kurt nodded. He wasn’t sure how to respond without crying too.

…………………………….

The funeral was three days later. Kurt had managed to sleep some, but he hadn’t made it to his bedroom at the end of the hallway. He had curled up in Allison’s old bed, and cried until he fell asleep. In his new phobia of entering what had once been his and Blaine’s private sanctuary, Kurt had avoided it entirely by simply going out and buying new clothes rather than disturb the room to get to his closet. 

He took his time getting ready. He dressed in the suit he had bought, which was no cheap ensemble, and styled his hair perfectly, then strategically applying just enough makeup to cover the dark circles and lines of misery on his face. This was the last time in this lifetime that he was going to see Blaine, and he wanted to look his very best for him. 

After tucking a packet of tissues into his pocket for good measure, he was on his way to the door. Something caught his eye before he could reach the entryway, though. He paused next to a framed photo of him and Blaine from a million years ago. It was one of the few actual paper photos they had left after all these years. He took the frame off the wall and stared at Blaine’s handsome face. They couldn’t be more than twenty-two in the picture, sitting next to each other on the porch swing at Blaine’s childhood home. Their arms were around each other and the way they looked at each other, they seemed oblivious to anything else happening in the world. 

Kurt took the frame apart with shaking fingers and pulled out the photo. His heart clenched tight in his chest as he realized there was writing on the back of photo. It was Blaine’s handwriting, sloppy and almost unreadable to most, but perfectly Blaine to Kurt. 

_Blaine loves Kurt  
Always_

He stared at the words for a moment, then stepped into the kitchen and set the frame on the counter while he rummaged around in a drawer for an old pen. Writing on paper was a rarity these days, but Kurt knew he had one somewhere. After a minute, he found a pen. He scribbled on an old scrap of paper to make sure it still worked. Kurt brushed his finger over Blaine’s writing, then wrote a message under Blaine’s.

_Kurt loves Blaine  
Forever_

Putting the pen away and leaving the frame, Kurt tucked the photo into the inside pocket of his jacket, then hurried out of the apartment to meet his family for the ride to the funeral.

He didn’t remember much about the funeral, really. It was still too fresh, the pain of missing him. Kurt sat in the front row and zoned out, hearing only the sounds of his crying family and friends. There weren’t many people there, only the people Blaine was closest to. There would be a ceremony later for all the others Blaine had touched in his life. The funeral was smaller than their wedding.

A man said a lot of good words about Blaine, despite not knowing him. Cooper and Allison both spoke for a bit. Kurt couldn’t bring himself to do it. He just stared blankly in front of him for an indeterminate amount of time until Santana was nudging him, telling him it was time. Time to see Blaine. 

There was a coffin at the front of the room, one half of it open. It was positioned so that people couldn’t see in until they were right up close to it. A line was already forming, but the moment that Kurt stood from his chair, they all seemed to disappear, giving him plenty of room to make the journey up for his final look at his husband. 

His legs trembled, and he could barely walk. Allison’s hand on his arm steadied him and he sent her a grateful look. He couldn’t muster a smile for her. This was not a smiling occasion. Allison let him go when he reached the coffin, and he took a deep breath before looking down. 

Blaine looked…peaceful. It was like it wasn’t him, but it was at the same time. His lips were curled up into a tiny smile, like he was just sleeping and having a good dream. Kurt wondered if he was dreaming about them, about how happy their life had been together. He brought a hand up and gently brushed back Blaine’s hair. The curls were just as soft as always, which was weird to Kurt, but it was nice. 

“You left me,” said Kurt softly. “I know I said you could, but I didn’t think you would.”

Tears burned his eyes, but he couldn’t bring himself to cry in front of Blaine. He didn’t want the last time they saw each other to be blurred by tears. He blinked them back and offered Blaine the tiniest of smiles.

“I forgive you,” he said.

“You’re my hero,” he said.

“I love you,” he said.

Then he pulled the picture from his pocket and gave it one last look. He brushed his fingers over Blaine’s youthful, flawless face, then looked up at actual Blaine’s face. The lines of age, the gray in his eyebrows, the subtle differences brought on by time. He was still so beautiful.

Kurt reached in and lifted the lapel of Blaine’s suit, tucking the picture under it, right over Blaine’s heart. He let his hand rest on Blaine’s chest for a moment. A final touch before letting go. 

He leaned down, his face beside Blaine’s, and whispered into his ear.

“Kurt loves Blaine. Forever and always.”

He kissed Blaine’s forehead, soft lips to cold skin, then stepped away so that he could finally let himself give in and cry.

………………………

A week after Blaine had left him, Kurt finally found himself standing at the end of the hallway, poised to open the door to his and Blaine’s bedroom. He took a deep breath, like he wasn’t sure what he would find in there even though he knew perfectly well it was exactly as he had left it. With a push, he entered the room quickly and shut the door behind him.

The bed was a mess. Blankets tangled in a pile in the middle of the mattress. There was a small pile of Blaine’s clothes in a chair in the corner on his side of the room. Blaine’s closet door was open, from when Cooper had gone in to collect the suit Blaine was to be buried in. Kurt felt a little burn in his chest at the thought of Cooper messing up anything that Blaine had touched.

Kurt went to the nightstand on Blaine’s side of the bed and looked at the digital photo frame, projecting a picture of him and Blaine kissing on their wedding day. It was beautiful. He opened the nightstand drawer. It felt weird to be looking in Blaine’s things like this without his permission, like he was snooping.

The contents of the drawer were few. A tattered antique paperback copy of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, a finger-paint drawing of their family from when Allison was in first grade, a handwritten note Kurt had left him a couple months ago (which read simply “ran out of pancake syrup, going to store, xoxo”), and a half empty bottle of raspberry flavored lube. 

Kurt let out a little snort of laughter. Blaine’s most prized possessions. Such a sweet man.

He left everything where it was, except the bottle of lube, which he took with him into the bathroom and stuffed in a basket of various toiletries under the sink. When he straightened up and looked at the counter, he sighed as another ache formed in his chest. Blaine’s hair gel, his razor, deodorant, cologne, toothbrush, toothpaste, and various medicine containers were right there. Kurt shook his head. Who knew a stick of deodorant could make someone feel so fucking miserable?

His hand poised to remove them from the counter as well, but he decided not yet. Too soon. Too final. 

Exiting the bathroom, he went back to the chair with the pile of dirty clothes on it. They had been what he was wearing before he changed into his suit for the benefit. Kurt picked up the button down shirt from the pile and lifted to his nose, closing his eyes and inhaling deeply. It still smelled like Blaine. He shrugged off his own shirt and pulled Blaine’s on. The sleeves were too short and it was too tight to button around the waist, but it fit enough to surround him with the smell of Blaine.

He picked up the pants, running his hands over the fabric, trying to remember what they looked like on Blaine. The curve of his round ass, the bulge of his crotch, the angle of his hips, the shape of his thighs. All things he would never see or touch or feel again. Kurt folded the pants and set them neatly back in the chair. 

This was enough for one day, he decided. He kept the shirt on and started to leave, then paused and turned back to the bed. He grabbed Blaine’s pillow and left the room at last. In the living room, he laid down on the couch, feeling the pull of Blaine’s almost too small shirt around his body and burying his face into Blaine’s pillow. 

The smell of him would only last for so long, Kurt knew, but right now he needed the comfort more than he needed reality.

……………………………

Allison showed up at the apartment the next day, and found Kurt still lying on the couch, still wrapped up in Blaine’s shirt, hugging Blaine’s pillow as he watched the news. She let herself in quietly, knowing that inside would be anything but cheerful. It was a bit of a relief to find him just sitting there, the apartment just a little messy. But her heart sank as she listened to what was on the news.

_Blaine Anderson-Hummel was the husband to Broadway star Kurt Hummel and father of singer and actress Alli Anderson. He was well known among New York socialites for his extensive charity work, most notably helping those with brain injuries like himself. His death last week came as a shock to many who feel they owed him a great deal. A Celebration of Life is to be held tonight at…_

The television turned off, and Kurt let out a heavy sigh.

“Hello Alli,” said Kurt. He didn’t move at all, so she came around the couch and sat herself on the edge of the coffee table, one of her hands resting on his knee.

“How are you?” she asked sadly, even though she already knew the answer. Kurt shook his head and shrugged.

“Words cannot describe how shitty I feel right now,” said Kurt. “I know I’ve been useless. I didn’t help with the funeral, I haven’t signed any documents, and I haven’t been there for my daughter.”

He finally looked up at look at her, and Allison could see the pain in his eyes grow greater. She knew very well that looking at her was like looking at Blaine’s clone. She squeezed his knee, then reached for his hand, pressing their palms together and twining their fingers. Kurt looked down at their hands. 

“I miss his hands,” he said. 

Allison nodded sympathetically.

“You’re grieving,” she said. She gave his hand a squeeze, even though it wasn’t the same and it wasn’t nearly enough. “As long as I still have my Papa, you can grieve as long as you need.”

“I won’t leave you,” Kurt promised. He pushed himself up and placed his free hand on her belly. He stroked his hand over it. His grandchild. Blaine’s grandchild. Blaine would never know this baby, and it would never know him. It wasn’t right. It wasn’t supposed to be like that.

“Good. Because I need you, Papa. We all need you. Someone will have to continue Daddy’s work at the charity,” said Allison. Kurt’s eyes widened a little. He hadn’t even thought far enough ahead to consider Blaine’s foundation. She was right, though. He couldn’t just let it die, not after Blaine had put some much of himself into it. If he wanted to stay close to Blaine, he would have to take over and keep Blaine’s dream of helping people alive.

“You can count on me.” Kurt offered her a tiny smile, but there was no happiness behind it.

“And can I count on you to come to Daddy’s Celebration of Life tonight?” she asked, looking at him hopefully. Kurt’s brow furrowed a little.

“Who thought of that? Why didn’t anyone ask me if that’s what I wanted to do for him?” Kurt snapped, pulling away from her and pushing himself to his feet. He hesitated on where to go for a minute, then stormed off into the kitchen. She followed him as fast as her round belly would allow her to.

“I did ask you, Papa. You said ‘do whatever you want’. So I set this up for him, because I don’t want anyone to think of him and think of his funeral or his horrible last day. I want them to think of the stories people shared about his life, I want them to think about the good things and the funny things and the happy things that made Daddy such an amazing person. I don’t want to mourn his death. I want to celebrate his life. And it wouldn’t be fair to celebrate his life without the biggest part of it there.”

Kurt leaned against the counter by the sink, the grabbed a glass and poured himself a drink of water. He didn’t reply at first, but when he finished his glass of water his shoulders drooped considerably.

“Fine, I’ll go. For him. Not for anyone but him,” said Kurt. 

Allison nodded and thanked him, then when silence followed, she left. 

………………………….

Kurt arrived at Blaine’s Celebration of Life early enough that the only people that were there were close family. It was held in the same building as the charity benefits often were held in, with dozens of round tables decorated with flower bouquets and packages of tissues, just in case. There were pictures of Blaine from various stages in his life all around the room, with a big slideshow at the front of the room.

It was beautiful. Blaine would have loved it.

He walked up to the stage, where Allison, Santana, and Gina were all talking low and quiet about something. Gina was the first to notice him, and she stopped talking and gestured in his direction. They all quieted and looked at him. He smiled a little and gave them a wave. 

“Hi,” he said. He glanced behind him, at all the tables. “It’s nice. Although I do see one thing that could be improved.”

He held up a flash drive and wiggled it at them. Santana approached him, reaching a hand out to help him up on the stage, then she took the drive from him.

“What’s this?” she asked. 

“It’s a better slideshow. I made it. I had all of Blaine’s childhood pictures and a lot of private stuff I took. Some really beautiful shots. And a few videos. And something I recorded a while ago. It was all…it was supposed to be just for him. But since he’s…I think everyone should see. No one else saw how he was when it just me and him. I want to share it.” Kurt shrugged a little and looked down at his feet.

“Thank you, Papa,” said Allison softly. 

After that, people began to arrive. A lot of people. Like. Hundreds of people. Some people that Kurt had never even seen before, and a lot of people he had only seen from pictures when he helped Blaine pick out families to send help to. There were barely enough seats to fit them all, and a few more tables were magically produced until finally the last twenty or so people had to stand or sit in chairs in the back 

Kurt sat at a table in the front, between Allison and Jack. The older man was quiet and sad, which was no surprise. Ever since he had arrived with Cooper, he had been sitting in that spot staring at a framed picture of Blaine as a child, taken just a few weeks before the accident. Kurt’s heart ached for him, to have to watch his son die after watching him struggle so many years to live. 

Once everyone seemed to have arrived, Santana took the stage. Kurt allowed her to do most of the talking. He didn’t really feel up to it quite yet.

“Good evening everyone,” began Santana. “Thank you all so much for coming. We’re all here tonight to celebrate the life of one of the most beautifully kind souls that has ever touched this planet. Blaine Devon Anderson-Hummel was a loving husband to Kurt, and wonderful father to Alli, a perfect son to Jack, a sweet brother to Cooper, and a loyal best friend to me. His dream is the reason many of you are here today, alive. He was an incredible person.” 

Santana paused, fighting the overwhelming rush of tears that were beginning to fall. Kurt looked down. Clearly, losing Blaine affected her more than she ever thought it would. He sat there, looking down at the table, as Cooper joined her on the stage and began to tell Blaine’s life story. He began with Blaine as a baby, telling of his struggle to overcome being born so prematurely, then he told of how smart Blaine had been as a little boy, and then he talked about the accident. It was so strange to hear about Blaine’s life before Kurt entered it. So much had happened to him in those first sixteen years of life.

Cooper kept talking, and Kurt sort of began to tune him out. His eyes caught on the picture that Jack kept staring at. The little boy in the picture was so undeniably Blaine. The curls, the smile, the miniature bowtie around his neck. There was a sparkle in his eye that Kurt had never seen before, though. In that picture was a Blaine that was not burdened with a brain that was forced to rewire itself. That Blaine did not know what an agonizing headache was. That Blaine went to school and kept up and had friends. That Blaine did not know what it was like to struggle just to seem normal.

Kurt snapped out of his thoughts when he realized Allison and several others were standing. He looked around and noticed he recognized a lot of the people going up on the stage. Allison, Abby, and Finn led the group, with nearly two dozen others. It took him a moment, but he realized that what he was looking at was all the living members of the New Directions from when he and Blaine had been in high school, as well as all their fully grown children.

“Hello everyone.” Allison took the microphone from her uncle and looked at all the people before them. “Daddy always loved music. Some days it was the only thing that could keep him going, and the only way he could properly express his feelings. There were times in his life where he could barely talk, but he always had the piano. And later, when he found his voice, he always sang whenever he could. Music was in his heart, even if he never got the chance to shine like some of us did. I thought it would be a wonderful tribute to him to have all of us sing a couple of his favorite songs for you.”

She nodded toward whoever was controlling the background music, and it began to play. Kurt recognized the song immediately, and he closed his eyes in an effort to not start crying so early. It wasn’t working though, and as soon as the group on the stage began to sing Seasons of Love, Kurt felt a hand wrap around his. He glanced down to see the old, wrinkled hand of Jack clasped in his. Giving him a shaky, grateful smile, he reached for a tissue and dabbed his eyes. 

The music filled the room and Kurt imagined Blaine beside him, smiling because the song perfectly described how Blaine lived every minute of every day of every year. 

When Seasons of Love ended, Allison told everyone how Blaine always loved Elton John’s music the most, probably because he could play it all easily on the piano. She joked that she would go to school humming the songs Blaine played and her peers would joke about her liking ancient music. 

After earning a chuckle from her audience, Allison led the choir behind her in a powerful and emotional version of Circle of Life, which also happened to be from one of Blaine’s favorite movies. It was lovely, and Kurt knew that Blaine would have loved it. He could hear Blaine’s voice in his ear, gushing over how wonderful it was and can they please sing again I loved it so much Kurt I want to hear them sing again!

The room filled with quiet chatter while the choir group exited the stage. A few of his former glee club friends came over to Kurt and hugged him, telling him how sorry they were for his loss and Blaine had been so good for him. Kurt knew, that’s why he married him. He managed to keep his mouth from spouting off any bitter comments, though.

When everyone was settled, the lights dimmed and Kurt’s slideshow began. The soft, somber tones of the music began as pictures of Blaine’s life began to appear. There were pictures of his childhood, mixed in with pictures Kurt had taken before they were dating, self-portraits of the two of them as the years went on, and some from throughout their lives that had been sweet, love filled moments shared only between the two of them. Blaine looked so happy in every picture. In every single one of them where was the wide-eyed, head over heels, unconditionally in love look on his face, because in every picture his attention was directed toward Kurt.

Kurt’s own voice rang out through the speakers, in a low voiced, soft recording from several years ago. He remembered sitting on the floor while Blaine laid on the couch, holding Blaine’s hand, and singing the song to him. Blaine had been helping a boy get treatment after a bad hit to the head, but in the end they had lost the boy and Blaine had been so upset.

_Laughter is the only thing that'll keep you sane_  
 _In this world that's dying more and more everyday_  
 _Don't let evil get you down_  
 _In this madness spinning round and round_

_I want you to live forever_  
 _Underneath the sky so blue_

_Some people say faith is a childish game_  
 _Play on, children, like it's Christmas day_  
 _Sing me a song, sing me a melody_  
 _Sing out loud, you're a symphony_

_I want you to live forever_  
 _Underneath the sky so blue_

Through the whole slideshow, tears continuously fell from Kurt’s eyes. The skin on his cheeks and around his eyes felt raw now, but he couldn’t hold it in. It didn’t seem possible to go on another day without those beautiful eyes looking at him like that, or those beautiful hands holding his, or that gorgeous mouth kissing his. Yet there he was, living as the minutes ticked by. He was alive, and life would go on, and Kurt would have nothing but the memories to fill the void.

The slideshow ended and froze on the picture of Kurt and Blaine on their wedding day. The lights turned on but that picture stayed, and for a few minutes he couldn’t tear his eyes away.

But then he was forced to. Santana was back on the stage, inviting people to pass the microphone around and tell the very best Blaine stories that had. This was, after all, a Celebration of Life. Unsurprisingly, Rachel was the first to take the mic.

“When I first met Blaine, I was totally in love. Like, I really had a crush on him. But Kurt was so defensive. ‘No Rachel, that’s _my_ boyfriend’. So I pouted for days, then one day I came to glee club and Blaine was there early, playing the piano. I recognized the song from Wicked, and I immediately began singing along. It scared him so much at first, but then he got back into playing and we were an amazing duo. We even performed a song like that at regionals, and the judges loved it. With all the rehearsal we had to do, we got to know each other so well and became close friends. Even though he had the brain damage, it never seemed to really slow him down. Not when it came to the music.” Rachel smiled fondly at her memory, then offered the microphone to the next person. Cooper took it.

“One time, probably a couple years before Blaine married Kurt, he came over to my place to visit. He had been doing that a lot lately, because Kurt was on Broadway and wasn’t home enough to take care of him. I didn’t mind spending time with him, of course. But this one particular day he was very upset about Kurt leaving without saying goodbye or something. I tried all day to convince him it would be okay, but all I got in return was the silent treatment. He sat with his arms crossed, pouting and not making a single sound for hours. I cleverly devised a plan to get him to come out of his silence. I snuck up behind him and started tickling him. I thought maybe catching him by surprise would do it, but boy did I underestimated Blaine. He shoved me away and glared, then went right back to pouting. A little while later, I sat next to him and caught him again, pinning him to the couch and tickling him nonstop until finally, _finally_ he could not resist laughing. I kept tickling him and he kept laughing, until he was begging me to stop even though he was still laughing. When I let him go, I told him he better keep smiling or I’d keep tickling him. He _grinned_ the whole rest of the day.” Cooper was smiling at his own memory, and a few people laughed around him. 

Kurt remembered that day, when Blaine told him about Cooper’s “tickle war”. Blaine had still been genuinely smiling when Kurt had brought him home that night, and Blaine’s happiness was always infectious.

Next, a couple of people who Blaine had helped with the charity shared their stories and how Blaine had helped them, and Kurt thought it was wonderful to see these people in person. Seeing and hearing about people whose whole lives were changed by one simple idea that Blaine had was amazing. It reminded him that he wasn’t the only one who had lost Blaine. An entire community of people had lost someone who really made a difference in the world. It made Kurt proud to have been Blaine’s husband.

Santana finally got the microphone and had seemed to rid herself of tears for the moment. She took a deep breath and spoke softly, holding Veronica’s hand as she did.

“I had the privilege of helping to care for Blaine when he was still struggling hard with his condition. This was back when he was just turning eighteen and the only thing he was sure of about anything was that he loved Kurt. I feel like it’s impossible to think of a memory about Blaine that doesn’t in some way include Kurt. I had never seen someone so full of love before, with so much to give and demanding so much in return. I was a cold hearted bitch in high school, but when I moved in with Blaine he changed me. He made me see how abundant hate is in the world, and how each and every one of us has enough love in our hearts to change that. A lot of you met Blaine when he was better, more independent, more capable. But back then he needed us for everything. 

“There was a night, about six weeks in to us living in the city, when the power went out for a few hours and we started hearing gunshots on the street. Blaine had already gone to bed, but everything woke him up and he came out into the living room where Kurt and Rachel were lighting candles, and he was trembling so bad he couldn’t even tell us what was wrong. Of course Kurt knew instantly. He abandoned his job as candle lighter and brought Blaine over to sit. Kurt sat on one side and I sat on the other and we just held Blaine until he relaxed. I know it’s not a funny memory, or even a happy memory, but I just remember that’s how Blaine was. He needed love in ways that most people don’t even know how to give, but he loved back with a vengeance.”

She managed to get through it without crying, but Kurt didn’t. He felt his tears again, burning the raw corners of his eyes. He was so tired of crying, but he remembered her story too, and the last week without Blaine had been the emptiest week of Kurt’s life. He hadn’t realized how full Blaine made him feel until he didn’t have him anymore, and it hurt.

Santana was offering up the microphone now, and before Kurt realized what he was doing, he was standing and requesting it for himself. The entire room went silent, as though no one really expected him to speak. He wiped his eyes with a new tissue and took a few deep breaths. He didn’t have anything in particular. He just wanted to talk. He wanted these people to know Blaine as he knew him, so that they too would know that there would never be another person so perfectly imperfect as long as the human population continued on.

Kurt took the microphone and looked at it for a moment, thinking. He took another breath, and everyone was still silent, waiting for him to speak.

“How do you sum up Blaine’s entire life in one story?” Kurt asked, his voice low and soft. “I think I have to start with how much I love him. That’s where the whole story really starts. The story of us. Everyone else talks about how kind and full of love and generosity he was, but all that love in his heart, it was for me. Maybe that sounds selfish, but he told me so. When I met him, I hung out with him mostly because I felt bad that he didn’t have anyone else. After a couple of weeks, he looked at me with those big ol’ eyes of his and asked if we could be best friends. Of course I said yes. It didn’t take long to grow especially fond of him, he was such a sweetheart. 

“He didn’t have much to offer a best friend. He had companionship and loyalty, and he had this eagerness about him, and this need. Of course, it didn’t take long for me to figure out I loved him, but I didn’t know it was romantic love until he confessed that he loved me. It was strange at first. How does this boy with brain damage have the capacity to love me? Well, he did. Turns out, loving me was what Blaine did best. He was so passionate about how he felt, and even when he wasn’t sure of anything else, he knew he loved me.

“A lot of you know the story of our life. We weren’t exactly a private couple. Blaine couldn’t hide his feelings if he tried. But there’s a lot of moments we never shared, because they were for us. I’d like to tell you all about the moment I knew that Blaine was my soulmate.”

Kurt paused, feeling as though maybe he had talked too much already, and that these people didn’t want to keep hearing about this. But no one spoke up to protest, so Kurt wiped his eyes and went on.

“He was nineteen and I was twenty. It had been a long day at school, and Santana was pissed that I got home late. We had an argument, then I stormed off to the bathroom and locked myself in for half an hour. Blaine gave me time before he quietly knocked on the door, so I opened it to let him in. He had dressed up all nice, just for me. It was our date night. And he looked so nervous as he shuffled into the bathroom. I asked him, ‘what’s wrong?’ and he looked at me and said ‘I’m sorry, I just wondered if maybe you forgot our date?’, except if you knew Blaine back then it didn’t come out that easily. It probably took him twice as long to say it. I took his hand and I pulled him in for a hug, he always craved hugs, and I told him that he didn’t do anything wrong, and that of course I didn’t forget our date, the only thing I forgot was how his magic hugs could cure everything. When it sunk in, he gave me that beautiful smile and he hugged me _so hard_. He didn’t let go for the longest time, and with his arms around me I knew. I _knew_ that I needed those hugs to live.

“It was perfect. He had what I needed, and I had what he needed, and we honestly were two puzzle pieces that fit together. Our lifetime together was cut a little short, but I’ll always carry with me the love that he gave me every moment of our almost fifty years together.”

There was more sniffling than applause and laughter after he finished, but he was okay with that. He handed the microphone off to another person who wanted to speak, and he lowered himself back down in his seat. He glanced back at the photo of Blaine as a kid that Jack had been staring at all night, and he realized it wasn’t the Blaine he was remembering. 

He glanced around and saw a digital frame with a picture of Blaine when he was young, maybe twenty years old, and he felt himself smile a little, despite the overwhelming sadness he still felt. That was his Blaine. His beautiful Blaine, who had left Kurt alone physically, but had somehow filled him with so much love during their life together that he had enough to keep going as long as he needed to. And then, when that love ran out, maybe he could join Blaine wherever he was, to keep loving him for the rest of time.

…………………………….

Kurt lived another fifteen years after Blaine left him, and it was a long fifteen years. He stayed in the same apartment, and he didn’t change much except for putting Blaine’s clothes and private belongings into boxes. He eventually found the courage to sleep in their bed again, but sleeping alone was not an easy thing.

Jack passed away a couple years after Blaine, and Kurt stood in Blaine’s place at the funeral. It had been a sad occasion, and Kurt was kind of glad Blaine didn’t have to be there for it. He never stopped thinking about Blaine, or loving him. And he never tried to replace Blaine. As he watched his family grow – his grandkids grew up so fast, and he even got to witness the birth of a great-grandchild – he knew Blaine was out there somewhere watching with him.

Sometimes Allison worried that he was lonely, but he never felt lonely. As he got older, he didn’t really care to try to be intimate with anyone. No one’s presence could fill what Blaine left behind, so Kurt didn’t even try. Instead, he dove headfirst into running Blaine’s charity. He renamed it the Blaine Anderson Foundation and dedicated most of his days working to fulfill Blaine’s dream. There was never a shortage of people to help.

Finally though, after fifteen years, Kurt began to feel an ache in his heart. He suspected that perhaps the supply of love that Blaine had left him with was beginning to dwindle, and from somewhere in an afterlife that Kurt had forced himself to believe in, Blaine was calling to him. He wrapped up all of his affairs, handed the foundation over to Allison, and in true Blaine fashion, told everyone he loved them.

Blaine was waiting for him, because even though Blaine had lost his life, he still had not lost the ability to love.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, it's over. Wow. I can't believe it. Thank you so much to all my readers for sticking it through to the end. I have appreciated your support, comments, and kudos so very much throughout this emotionally turbulent journey. And if anyone has any prompt ideas for moments in their life not in the story, please let me know! Thanks again to everyone!


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